For politicians doomed to deal with religion, two lessons stand out—one principled, the other pragmatic. The principle is that church and state are best kept separate. Subsidised religion has seldom made sense for either state or church: witness Europe's empty pews....
The pragmatic lesson concerns those wars of religion. Partly because of their obsession with keeping church and state separate, Western powers (and religious leaders) have been too reluctant to look for faith-driven solutions to religious conflicts.
The magazine then features a series of articles under the caption Special Report on Religion and Public Life. Here are links to the separate portions of the Report: In God's name ; O come all ye faithful ; The power of private prayer ; The new wars of religion ; Holy depressing ; Bridging the divide ; Back to the Ottomans ; Stop in the name... ; The lesson from America .
