Hayek courted Christians as necessary allies for liberalism

Evidence

As he asked in the discussion on liberalism and Christianity during the first MPS meeting in 1947: “Does liberalism presuppose some set of values which are commonly accepted as a faith and in themselves not capable of rational demonstration?” Hayek and the other discussants agreed. Hayek then strategically argued that “there is no chance of any extensive support for a liberal program unless the opposition between liberals and Christians can somehow be bridged. This antagonism is an accidental accretion of liberalism, rather than one of the essentials to liberalism.” — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 354

Categorization

• XREF: Fits the reader’s map-building goal: Hayek’s strategic religious alliance parallels contemporary Christian-democratic/neoliberal cooperation in postwar Europe and the later fusion of American evangelicals with market orthodoxy. — connects to: Hayek and fellow Mont Pèlerin founders viewed Christianity as indispensable to liberal revival — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 122; Hayek valued religion pragmatically for securing submission to market order — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights…, 356; Hayek feared moral and religious decline could destroy market civilization (+5 more)
• SEED: An essay angle: ‘the accidental accretion’ — how a strategic alliance to widen support ossified into the false historical claim that liberalism and Christianity were never opposed.

Broader Connections

• Hayek and fellow Mont Pèlerin founders viewed Christianity as indispensable to liberal revival #corroborates (0.92) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 122
• Hayek valued religion pragmatically for securing submission to market order #expands (0.85) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 356
• Hayek feared moral and religious decline could destroy market civilization #expands (0.78)
• Hayek held that free markets require a moral culture of personal responsibility to survive #expands (0.75) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 23