Commentary, June 2004, Volume 117, Number 6.

I found these articles particularly noteworthy (each contains important observations on American culture):

• The Cathedral and the Cube: Reflections on European Morale, by George Weigel


• The Church of Civil Rights, by Wilfred M. McClay


• Is the Musical Comedy Dead?, by Terry Teachout

The Public Interest, Spring 2004, Number 155.
Special Issue: Religion in America

I especially recommend these articles:

• "Religious Souls and the Body Politic" by Michael W. McConnell.
  Makes a philosophical distinction between religious pluralism and secularism, and argues that the American tradition is one of religious pluralism, not secularism.


• "Against Separation" by Philip Hamburger.
  This essay is adapted from his recent book: Separation of Church and State, Harvard University Press, 2002.
  Gives a brief history of the (arguably spurious) idea of a "separation of church and state" and distinguishes that from the historically more accurate accomadation that has existed between religion and government in America (see his book for more on this topic).


• A series of three articles grouped under the heading Religion and Social Policy which discuss the Charitable Choice legislation and its implemetion by President Bush's "Faith-Based and Community Initiatives" program.
  
  
  
  1. Implementing the Faith-Based Initiative by Stanley W. Carlson-Thies.
  
  
  2. Getting Faith-Based Programs Right by John J. DiIulio, Jr.,
     University of Pennsylvania, The Brookings Institution.
  
  
  3. Faith Healing by Joseph Loconte.
  
  

Some Links on Charitable Choice and the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives:

(A) Government:

• White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.


• US Department of Education.


• US Department of Health and Human Services.


• US Department of Housing and Urban Development.


• US Department of Justice.


• US Department of Labor.


• Texas Department of Human Services.

(B) Policy Research, Mostly Proponents:

• The Center for Public Justice (website has many informative links).

Some articles in the magazine First Things:

• "Saving" the Poor by Daniel P. Moloney, May 1999.


• Religious Freedom: Innovation and Development by Avery Cardinal Dulles, December 2001 (contains discussion of Church - State relations).


• Keeping the Faith by Joseph Loconte, May 2002.


• The Case for "Discrimination" by Ronald J. Sider, June/July 2002.


• Publick Religion: Adams v. Jefferson by John Witte, Jr., March 2004.


• Book Review by Timothy Burns of What’s God Got To Do with the American Experiment? edited by E. J. Dionne and John J. Jr Diiulio.


• Book Review by John E. Coons (see later part of article) of The Ambiguous Embrace: Government and Faith-Based Schools and Social Agencies by Charles L. Glenn.


• Book Review of When Sacred and Secular Mix: Religious Nonprofit Organizations and Public Money by Stephen V. Monsma.


• Book Review of Fighting Poverty With Virtue: Moral Reform and America's Urban Poor, 1825-2000 by Joel Schwartz.


• Book Review by Amy L. Sherman of Renewing American Compassion: How Compassion for the Needy Can Turn Ordinary Citizens into Heroes by Marvin Olasky.

(C) Policy Research, Mostly Opponents:

• Articles in Sojurners Magazine.


• American Atheists (they're against it, of course).

(D) Other Books (not mentioned as reviewed in First Things above, many selected here on basis of title alone):

• God, Government, and the Good Samaritan: The Promise and Peril of the President's Faith-Based Initiative.


• Religion Returns to the Public Square: Faith and Policy in America.


• The Faith-Based Initiatives and the Bush Administration; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.


• The Quiet Hand of God: Faith-Based Activism and the Public Role of Mainline Protestantism.


• A Revolution of Compassion: Faith-Based Groups As Full Partners in Fighting America's Social Problems.


• Sacred Places, Civic Purposes: Should Government Help Faith-Based Charity?.

Ann Coulter.
Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right.
New York: Crown Publishers (Random House), 2002 [paperback reprint: Three Rivers Press (Random House), 2003].

Excellent survey of the recent state of popular political discourse.

Stanley Elkins and Eric McKittrick.
The Age of Federalism: The Early American Republic, 1788 - 1800.
New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993.

Information about the book at: Amazon.com, Oxford University Press.

Probably the best survey of this period of American history available today.