Archbishop Chaput's new book available through Ignatius Press

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput's book Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life (Doubleday), due out August 12th, can be ordered from Ignatius Press. Here is a description of the book:

Few topics in recent years have ignited as much public debate as the balance between religion and politics. Does religious thought have any place in political discourse? Do religious believers have the right to turn their values into political action? What does it truly mean to have a separation of church and state? The very heart of these important questions is here addressed by one of the leading voices on the topic, Charles J. Chaput, Archbishop of Denver.

Chaput argues that our public life must be considered within the context of its Christian roots. American democracy does not ask its citizens to put aside their deeply held moral and religious beliefs for the sake of public policy. In fact, it requires exactly the opposite.

As the nation’s founders knew very well, people are fallible. The majority of voters, as history has shown again and again, can be uninformed, misinformed, biased, or simply wrong. Thus, to survive, American democracy depends on an engaged citizenry—people of character, including religious believers, fighting for their beliefs in the public square—respectfully but vigorously, and without apology. Anything less is bad citizenship and a form of theft from the nation’s health. Or as the author suggests: Good manners are not an excuse for political cowardice.

Comments

[Fabio P.Barbieri]

Chaput for Pope. We need someone who is afraid of nobody and nothing.

[Liz Mack]

I bought a copy of "Render Unto Caesar" locally in Chicago yesterday, started browsing, and couldn't put it down. Nobody's written anything like it. This isn't a hit job on any specific political party, but it will make a lot of lukewarm and self-deluding Catholics very uncomfortable. Chaput is very clear on the difference between "foundational" issues like abortion and other sanctity of life matters, and other important but less pivotal issues. But this isn't another abortion-wars book. It's much richer and more comprehensive than that. Chaput is a vivid writer with a strong grasp of history and a forceful, persuasive message about the obligations of Catholic identity. This is the best book on American Catholics and their political vocation I've read anywhere. I strongly recommend it.