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

from II - Religious Perspectives on Life Patents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 September 2019

Thomas C. Berg
Affiliation:
University of St Thomas, Minnesota
Roman Cholij
Affiliation:
St Edmund's College, Cambridge
Simon Ravenscroft
Affiliation:
Magdalene College, Cambridge
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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.

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Chapter
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Patents on Life
Religious, Moral, and Social Justice Aspects of Biotechnology and Intellectual Property
, pp. 152 - 164
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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