9 - Christian Libertarianism and the Curious Lack of Religious Objections to the Patenting of Life Forms in the United States

Summary

The chapter argues that one partial explanation for the curious lack of religious opposition to the patenting of life forms in the United States is the rise of Christian Libertarianism and Christian Materialism. The chapter sets forth the sparse history of religious objections to patent life by prominent denominations and then, following Kevin Kruse, charts the entanglement of evangelical Christianity, corporate advocacy, and governmental religious practice in the U.S. in the latter half of the 20th Century. As libertarian and materialistic strains of Christianity gain prominence and embrace a theology where property rights are central, the ability to make religious arguments against patenting are greatly diminished.