Hayek and fellow Mont Pèlerin founders viewed Christianity as indispensable to liberal revival

Evidence

This was clear in Hayek’s opening address to the Society’s inaugural conference, which deplored the rationalistic liberalism of the French Revolution. Unless the ‘breach between true liberalism and religious convictions can be healed’, he argued, ‘there is no hope for a revival of liberal forces’. The importance of Christianity to the new liberal project was reflected in a session at that conference on ‘Liberalism and Christianity’, which included twelve speakers drawn from across Europe, the UK and the United States. Although none of the Society’s founders were active representatives of the Catholic faith, Röpke noted in 1957, this ‘circle of technicians’ soon turned its attention to the relation between Christianity and freedom. They became conscious, he suggests, that liberals and Christians, ‘concerned for freedom and human dignity’, shared common ground they did not share with their collectivist enemy. — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 122

Categorization

• XREF: Adds concrete evidence to the MPS-religion link often noted in Mirowski’s The Road from Mont Pèlerin. — connects to: Hayek and Friedman shared faith that ideas could transform political practice — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free…, 560; Hayek courted Christians as necessary allies for liberalism — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 354; Hayek valued religion pragmatically for securing submission to market order — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 356 (+2 more)
• SHARE: The detail that non-Catholic ‘circle of technicians’ nevertheless made Christianity central is a textbook-worthy tidbit for someone working on religion and market liberalism.

Broader Connections

• Hayek valued religion pragmatically for securing submission to market order #expands (0.85) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 356
• Free-market ideology converged with right-wing religious conservatism at Mont Pèlerin #expands (0.80) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 207