The book discusses the changing relationship between American Catholic Bishops and civil authorities in the United States, as civil authority has eclipsed traditional Catholic ecclesiastical privilege and clerical exemption resulting from the hierarchical mismanagement and cover-up of clerical sexual abuse in the United States.

The book discusses the changing relationship between American Catholic Bishops and civil authorities in the United States, as civil authority has eclipsed traditional Catholic ecclesiastical privilege and clerical exemption resulting from the hierarchical mismanagement and cover-up of clerical sexual abuse in the United States.

Religious Leaders and Faith-Based Politics: Ten Profiles offers a powerful and timely analysis of the dynamic relationship between religious leaders of all faiths and political activism in the United States. By examining the lives and works of such prominent leaders as Reverend Floyd Flake, Bishop T. D. Jakes, Reverend Al Sharpton, Elder Dallin H. Oakes, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Reverend Benjamin Chavis-Muhammed, and Sister Maureen Fiedler, this volume reveals an American tradition of religious influence on public policy that continues to be an important hallmark of our democracy. From the colonial era to the present, religious leaders have raised AmericansO moral and political awareness of countless issues, including revolution, slavery, temperance, civil rights, and, most recently, the culture wars. This book is the first to explore the renewed and intense commitment of evangelicals, Catholics, Muslims, and Jews to preach, teach, and participate in politics today. Among the questions answered in this book: are religious leaders today as active and vocal as the radicals of the turbulent 1960s? Are these activists still involved in civil rights or have other contentious topics such as abortion and traditional family values preempted such issues? In the wake of the 2000 election and at the start of a new administration committed to elevating the role of religion in politics, Jo Renee Formicola, Hubert Morken, and this prominent collection of contributors ask might we expect greater American religious involvement in the years ahead? This is essential reading for anyone interested in religious and political activism, or the evolving relationship between church and state in America.

The clash between the religious right and the secular left undermines any serious debate about the role of religion in American public life. Such strident cultural rhetoric often ignores the positive contributions of America's many religions. By contrast, this volume celebrates America's religious diversity, demonstrating that religious pluralism is actually one of democracy's basic building blocks. Taking Religious Pluralism Seriously expands on Barbara A. McGraw's framework for understanding religious participation in public life--a two-tiered public forum, consisting of the civic public forum and the conscientious public forum. The chapters explore how diverse religious communities and traditions, including "newer" and marginalized religions, can make a meaningful contribution to American society and politics.

Ilie Bădescu and Joseph Livni follow the footsteps of two giants who pioneered the field: H. H. Stahl of Romania, who studied the sociology of communal societies, and D. J. Elazar of the United States, who studied the political science of covenantal societies. This collection sheds light on obscure corners of the field, gathering up thoughts and concepts of many other sources of past and contemporary research in the field. In this volume, the reader will find answers to difficult questions like: How did acephalous societies penetrate civilization? How did they manage to preserve their egalitarian ethos? Why did powerful hierarchies work in partnership with them? And, most importantly, how did covenantal societies work around the constraints of a civilized reality? The history of civilization consists of various degrees of stratified configurations ranging from oligarchic city states to powerful pyramidal empires.

This book shows how Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI mandated many confused, inconsistent, and misguided policies on clerical sexual abuse; actions that ultimately hindered the implementation of effective reforms to alleviate the crisis that has enveloped the Catholic Church for the last two decades. It also examines the possibility of authentic change by articulating the positive outreach of Pope Francis to the victims of abuse, his attempts at institutional atonement, as well as his struggles to implement systematic actions for the protection of young people.

This book shows how Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI mandated many confused, inconsistent, and misguided policies on clerical sexual abuse; actions that ultimately hindered the implementation of effective reforms to alleviate the crisis that has enveloped the Catholic Church for the last two decades. It also examines the possibility of authentic change by articulating the positive outreach of Pope Francis to the victims of abuse, his attempts at institutional atonement, as well as his struggles to implement systematic actions for the protection of young people.

The Politics of Values shows how Evangelical moral influence morphed into public policy and partisan political support for the Republican Party. It will show how the politics of values were used as a means to gain and hold political power, and articulate how those who tried to implement the politics of values in campaigns and public policy began to fall into disrepute. Due to their own arrogance and scandalous behavior, many were voted out of elective office, losing significant races in the 2006 mid-term elections, and leaving the Republican Party severely compromised for the 2008 Presidential election. This book argues that the ensuing erosion of the Evangelical-Republican symbiosis will soon become more visible and powerful as growing demands for an emphasis on new spiritual values and adjusted political priorities. In short, the nexus of conservative ideology, religion, and politics is imploding. In its place, progressive alternatives are developing; in fact, some are already being presented to the voter by candidates who are motivated by new challenges and cultural directions.

The Politics of Values shows how Evangelical moral influence morphed into public policy and partisan political support for the Republican Party. It will show how the politics of values were used as a means to gain and hold political power, and articulate how those who tried to implement the politics of values in campaigns and public policy began to fall into disrepute. Due to their own arrogance and scandalous behavior, many were voted out of elective office, losing significant races in the 2006 mid-term elections, and leaving the Republican Party severely compromised for the 2008 Presidential election. This book argues that the ensuing erosion of the Evangelical-Republican symbiosis will soon become more visible and powerful as growing demands for an emphasis on new spiritual values and adjusted political priorities. In short, the nexus of conservative ideology, religion, and politics is imploding. In its place, progressive alternatives are developing; in fact, some are already being presented to the voter by candidates who are motivated by new challenges and cultural directions.

Everson Revisited explores the consequences and future implications of Everson v. Board of Education, the landmark Supreme Court case that permitted the use of tax revenue to transport students to parochial schools while simultaneously calling for an impenetrable 'wall of separation' between religion and public schools.