The Other Philadelphia Story: How Local Congregations Support the Quality of Urban America by Ram A. Cnaan. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006. 334 pp. $69.95 (cloth)

摘要

Efforts of the Bush administration to encourage religious organizations to seek federal funding to finance social programming through CharitablernChoice and other programs have been enormously controversial. Supporters argue that religious congregations and their affiliate organizations represent a significant source of expertise, commitment, and social capital. In fact, churches are often cited as one of very few viable institutions remaining in our large cities. Critics, on the other hand, question the actual capacity of religious organizations and wonder whether the traditional separation of church and state can be maintained when religious organizations are active in the design and implementation of publicly financed social programs. In spite of continued debate, however, it appears that public funding for religious organizations has become well established on the American political agenda. Indeed, both major party presidential candidates have expressed an interest in expanding the Bush faith-based initiative. Clearly this is an issue that is not going to go away anytime soon.