Religious Neoliberalism “On the Ground”: Nonprofit Authorities’ Views on Religiosity, Devolution, and Remoralization in Poverty Relief

Post-welfare reform public/private partnerships are marked by the rise of the ideology and practice of “religious neoliberalism,” which include a commitment to devolution and remoralization. To understand the impact of religious neoliberalism, scholars must move beyond the elite level to examine the local. We elicited thirty-two interviews with authorities at antipoverty nonprofit organizations and found that ideals associated with religious neoliberalism have seeped into the functioning of many charitable organizations, regardless of their relationship to religiosity. There are a range of organizational beliefs, attitudes, and practices “on the ground,” but ultimately religious neoliberalism is a prominent framework for United States-based charity.