The Pilgrimage of Stephen Harper

Any look at Stephen Harper and the new Conservative party requires an examination of the evangelical Christian legacies coming out of both the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative parties. Harper handles this legacy carefully; the writings of such religious icons as C.S. Lewis and Malcolm Muggeridge have helped shape his world view. His success will be measured by the respective roles played by social and progressive conservatives in any government he leads. If he wins, Harper will also be the first economist to serve as prime minister. Those who have mentored him see his strong grasp of economic issues as pivotal to a conservative approach to Canadian freedom, prosperity, and social wellness. On the personal front, his wife and their two children have turned Harper into a warmer and more compassionate human being. They are a strong partnership in most ways, at once complementary and contrasting. Drawing from the various facets of Harper's life, Stephen Harper offers indicators on what to expect from his prime ministership, and the kinds of strategies he will be required to adopt, depending on who his opponent in the next election is. The viewpoints in this book will provide a few clues to whether Harper's carefully crafted conservatism can carry the day in the 21st century's third federal election.