I do not claim to be a conservative, but I think that Thielicke’s positive characterization of conservatism is the best and most succinct I have ever encountered:
It must [...] be pointed out that in origin the term “conservative” has nothing to do with reaction. When it became a slogan for opposition to the French Revolution it could not be synonymous with ossification since it championed the right of living history over against an artificial state constructed abstractly and proclaimed to be correct. It naturally seeks to preserve or reclaim what has come into being historically, not because it is subservient to the law of sloth, but because what has come into being has proved itself. This cannot be said unless the criteria of reason and conscience are claimed and the judgment thus displays maturity and commitment. (The Evangelical Faith, v.1. p. 36)
