Conservatives claim conservatism is not an ideology---yes it is

Conservatism at least shares the same ideological definition of being an abstract system or theory of ideas. Theology is another related term which abstractly concentrates more on God. And philosophy, another related term, abstractly calls God "Being," which ideology abstractly calls "end-goals." Conservatism forms abstract ideas with principles as much as ideologies do. There is nothing more abstract than spiritualism. Conservatism fits together into a system, a magisterium, which includes as much “social-justice engineering” as any ideology. Russell Kirk is one of my favorite thinkers but his anti-ideology is also an ideology.

Conservatism should not waste valuable time and reputation smugly putting down non-conservatism because it is ideology. It would be better to say, yes, conservatism could be defined as an ideology, but it is deeper and superior to leftest ideologies, such as cultural Marxism. Conservatism still describes reality better than leftist ideologies, although perhaps not better than the study of sociobiology. Abstractions in general can become a problem in trying to see reality, and that includes the abstractions of conservatism.

Theological materialism sees or defines Godhood not as a non-material spiritual abstraction but as a living supermaterial object, or objects, which life evolves to in the non-abstract material world of real objects. Call that an ideology, theology or philosophy, whatever pleases you. It's reality we seek to understand so that we can then better relate theology, philosophy and ideology (and don't forget science) to reality.