Overview

From the White House to state houses, and on both sides of the aisle, public officials are paying new attention to the role of "faith-based" social-service providers in meeting America's social problems. The consensus that congregations and other religious institutions should play a greater role is growing, but no such consensus exists on the question of what and how much the religious community should be asked to do.

At one extreme, some conservatives claim that religious institutions can replace the federal "safety net" for the poor with private funds. At the other extreme, some liberals believe that virtually any religious use of government funds for social-service delivery violates the constitutional separation of church and state.

Both views are wrong. Faith-based social services cannot replace the safety net, but they can become a more active partner with government and other sectors of society regarding questions related to poverty, family life, and community. And they can do so without establishing a national religion or violating anyone's freedom of religion.

This paper has three purposes:

• To describe the context of the debate over faith-based social services and to offer an alternative framework for approaching the issue.
• To describe new public-private partnerships involving faith-based social services in several states leading in this area.
• To offer public policy recommendations, based on actual state experience, for the further development of such partnerships.

Blueprint Keywords: Extra Faith

Jim Castelli has written about religion and public affairs for 30 years. His work has appeared in Time, People, and USA Today, and he has written six books about American religion.