A new book edited by two political scientists presents case studies of faith-based programs funded by the federal government. The book is David K. Ryden & Jeffrey Polet, Sanctioning Religion?: Politics, Law, and Faith-Based Public Services , from Lynne Reinner Publishers. It is described as investigating "the potential—as well as the perils—of mixing religion and politics in the United States." The book's Introduction is available online.
Another group of political scientists have published a paper analyzing the role that religion plays in voting patterns of members of Congress. In the May 10 issue of Roll Call (subscription required), an article describes their paper, The Confessional Congress: Religion and Legislative Behavior. The paper analyzes religious faith and voting behavior of House members in the 105th Congress (1997-98). It concludes "even when party membership, district religious characteristics, and important political variables are controlled, religious affiliation and theological perspective still have a direct impact on members' voting." [Thanks to Steven H. Sholk for this information].
