Published In
Journal of Progressive Human Services
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-2-2026
Subjects
Social work -- child welfare, Evangelicalism, Christianity, integrative literature review
Abstract
Evangelical Christians in the U.S. are a unique population with tremendous socio-political influence. While evangelicals have a unique interest in foster care and adoption, little social work scholarship explores intersections between evangelicalism and child welfare. Through an integrative literature review of 11 historical articles discussing evangelical Christianity and child welfare social work, I found the scholarship as a whole tended to emphasize evangelical Christians’ good intentions and deeds, while only limitedly discussing white supremacy, xenophobia, and settler colonialism. In light of these findings, I discuss potential implications and offer three invitations for further exploring this line of inquiry.
Rights
Copyright (c) 2026 The Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Locate the Document
DOI
10.1080/10428232.2026.2637314
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44543
Citation Details
Pappas, G. (2026). Benevolence and Brutality: Evangelical Christianity & Child Welfare Social Work in Historical Perspective. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 1–28.