Foreign Christian Influence in Developing World Domestic Social Policy
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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2012 Foreign Christian Influence in Developing World Domestic Social Policy William Harrison West Virginia University Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Harrison, William, "Foreign Christian Influence in Developing World Domestic Social Policy" (2012). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 4863. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/4863 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Foreign Christian Influence in Developing World Domestic Social Policy William Harrison Department of Political Science West Virginia University Dissertation submitted to the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science Dr. R. Scott Crichlow, Chair Dr. Robert Duval Dr. Karleen West Dr. Joe Hagan Dr. James Siekmeier Department of Political Science Morgantown, West Virginia 2012 Keywords: Christian Influence; Developing World; Social Policy Copyright 2012 William Harrison ABSTRACT Foreign Christian Influence in Developing World Domestic Social Policy William Harrison There is a debate going on in the United States today about where our culture is headed. In the United States and much of the West, society is becoming more liberal on issues such as gay rights and abortion. In countries of the developing in Africa and Latin America there has also been a debate about these issues. This is in part fueled by Christian groups coming from outside of the countries of the developing world who are attempting to export the Culture Wars of the West to the developing world. This paper theorizes that foreign Christian groups have a more difficult time influencing social policy, specifically gay rights and abortion policy, in developing countries that possess higher state capacity. Conversely these same groups have an easier time influencing policy in developing countries with a lower level of state capacity. This work will look at countries in the developing world from Latin America and Africa which have become battlegrounds in the exported Culture Wars. I find that foreign Christian groups do have an easier time influencing social policy in developing countries with lower state capacity and a more difficult time influencing social policy in developing countries with a higher level of state capacity. This is important for the field of Political Science in that it increases our knowledge of non-governmental organizations. DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to all three of my parents Bill, Elyse, and Mary. I love you all. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge and thank my committee members Dr. Crichlow, Dr. Hagan, Dr. Duval, Dr. West, and Dr. Siekmeier for all of their help during this process. I would also like to thank my Parents Bill, Elyse, and Mary as well as all of my family and friends. I would like to thank Dr. Worsham and Dr. MacDonald for being great graduate directors. Finally, I would like to thank Lee Ann Greathouse, Ronny Thompson, and Donna MacIsaac for all of their help over the years. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ii DEDICATION...................................................................................................................iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................viii LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................. ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................... 1 Motivation and Topical Classification............................................................................ 1 Definitions....................................................................................................................... 3 Organization of the Dissertation ..................................................................................... 4 Summary of Analysis...................................................................................................... 5 Applicability for This Study ........................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................ 8 State Capacity ................................................................................................................. 8 Non-Governmental Organizations................................................................................ 12 Religious Groups Working Abroad .............................................................................. 15 Social Movements Affecting Public Policy.................................................................. 17 Religiosity and Human Development........................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 26 Overview....................................................................................................................... 26 Quantitative Methodology and Results......................................................................... 26 Qualitative Methodology .............................................................................................. 30 CHAPTER 4: AFRICAN CASE STUDIES..................................................................... 36 South Africa.................................................................................................................. 36 Organization of this Chapter..................................................................................... 36 State Capacity: .......................................................................................................... 37 Legitimacy ............................................................................................................ 37 Cohesion ............................................................................................................... 40 Education .............................................................................................................. 41 Foreign Christian Effort Directed at South Africa.................................................... 42 Outreach: Benny Hinn .......................................................................................... 42 Outreach: Association of Baptists for World Evangelism.................................... 43 Outreach: Kenneth Hagin Ministries .................................................................... 45 Outreach: Cape Town 2010 .................................................................................. 45 Outreach: Summary .............................................................................................. 46 Aid Conversion ..................................................................................................... 47 Pat Robertson.................................................................................................... 48 Franklin Graham and Samaritans Purse............................................................ 48 Attempts to Influence Leaders.............................................................................. 50 The Gag Rule ........................................................................................................ 52 v Causal Mechanisms .................................................................................................. 53 Policy Effects............................................................................................................ 54 Conclusions............................................................................................................... 54 Uganda ..........................................................................................................................55 Organization of this Section...................................................................................... 56 State Capacity: .......................................................................................................... 56 Domestic Factors: A Low Functioning State........................................................ 56 Domestic Factors: Lords Resistance Army........................................................... 57 Domestic Factors: Religious