This chapter examines the transnational rise of “traditional family values” as a moral and political framework in global politics, tracing its roots to faith-based advocacy shaped by U.S. religious groups. During the Cold War, left-leaning Christians emphasized racial and economic justice, while right-leaning evangelicals focused on religious freedom in communist contexts. After 1991, progressive Christian networks declined, while conservative groups increasingly used family rhetoric to build global alliances, especially in post-Soviet states aligned with Orthodox moral traditions. The chapter argues that appeals to the traditional family, conceived as nuclear, patriarchal, and morally normative, serve not only as cultural symbols but also as organizing principles in international relations. Drawing from political theory, international sociology, and historical case studies, it explores how this family-based moral architecture informs global governance, legitimacy, and intervention strategies. In doing so, it highlights how religious ideologies have reshaped geopolitical alliances and raises critical questions about their impact on human rights and civil liberties.

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“The Most Important Thing”. The Traditional Family and the Moral Architecture of Global Politics

  • Andrew Bunnell

摘要

This chapter examines the transnational rise of “traditional family values” as a moral and political framework in global politics, tracing its roots to faith-based advocacy shaped by U.S. religious groups. During the Cold War, left-leaning Christians emphasized racial and economic justice, while right-leaning evangelicals focused on religious freedom in communist contexts. After 1991, progressive Christian networks declined, while conservative groups increasingly used family rhetoric to build global alliances, especially in post-Soviet states aligned with Orthodox moral traditions. The chapter argues that appeals to the traditional family, conceived as nuclear, patriarchal, and morally normative, serve not only as cultural symbols but also as organizing principles in international relations. Drawing from political theory, international sociology, and historical case studies, it explores how this family-based moral architecture informs global governance, legitimacy, and intervention strategies. In doing so, it highlights how religious ideologies have reshaped geopolitical alliances and raises critical questions about their impact on human rights and civil liberties.