| In God We Trust?: Faith-Based Organizations and the Quest to Solve America's Social Ills Contributor(s): Solomon, Lewis D. (Editor) |
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ISBN: 073912420X ISBN-13: 9780739124208 Publisher: Lexington Books OUR PRICE: $57.41 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: September 2007 Annotation: Lewis D. Solomon offers a balanced, hard headed analysis of faith-based organizations, examining what they are, presenting his original faith-factor theory for their effectiveness, and treating the various arguments raised by opponents of faith-based organizations and the new social policy approach, fairly and professionally. This book provides reader friendly answers to constitutional law questions, empirical studies of effectiveness, and prescriptions for funding and staffing. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Philanthropy & Charity - Social Science | Reference |
| Dewey: 361.75 |
| Series: Religion, Politics, and Society in the Millennium |
| Physical Information: 0.89" H x 6.26" W x 8.97" (1.72 lbs) 304 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: This pioneering book charts how President George W. Bush's 'compassionate conservatism' creates a new path for American Social Policy. There is a growing interest in testing the proposition that faith-based organizations (FBOs) could do even greater good, especially if government supports an expanded role. The organizations represent a potentially valuable, but controversial, resource because they offer to fight a very different war against America's social ills. This work offers three conclusions. First, FBOs are effective in dealing with chronic social problems because they spark personal transformation. Second, financing them through the Tax Code or vouchers is preferable to direct federal funding. The fear that public funding means government take-over of religion serves as perhaps the greatest impediment to a more expansive role for FBOs. Third, although predicting the U.S. Supreme Court's resolution of church-state issues is fraught with difficulties, the emerging 'equal treatment' of religion by the High Court suggests a more permissive attitude toward the federal funding of religous charities. The tax and voucher alternatives seem certain to pass constitutional muster. In God We Trust? is among the first works to assess President Bush's policy efforts to meet America's social ills by turning more tasks over to FBOs. In addition to demonstrating the constitutionality of the federal efforts to fund FBOs, the book analytically summarizes the existing empirical evidence dealing with the effectiveness of faith-based organizations. |