The opportunity and challenge of faith-based civic engagement.
Religious involvement is an important dimension of civic life in most American communities.
This is especially true in the South and Midwest. Moreover, at a time when the nation is actively discussing President Bush's new Office of Faith Based Programs, these data are particularly relevant. Religion can heal divisions, to be sure, but it can also exacerbate them. Religious exhortations can reduce tensions, but also increase them. It is against this backdrop that the survey casts light.