Religion and the Constitution (2nd Edition) by Michael W. McConnell, John H. Garvey and Thomas C. Berg (review)

244 the jurist also through details of his thought being woven through discussions of his investigation by CDF. The last chapters are reflections on Catholicism in America and Curran’s role in that as well as a personal statement of why and how he remains a committed Catholic—in which prayer and laughter play large parts. There is also a very helpful discussion of why Curran went public as opposed to the silence maintained by other theologians such as Congar. Those familiar with Curran’s writings will recognize his voice and style which he admits several times is not the most scintillating. He presents his position clearly and directly, but as typical of him, the author maintains respect for his opponents and a significant degree of selfcriticism . The memoir brings together many private details of his journey and the resources from which he drew strength to continue. The book is a marvelous testimony to the power of hope and prayer and the value of a faith community. It is also another testimony to the extent and expense that institutions will go to maintain conformity and order. The book deserves a wide readership, if not for learning about a critique of US Catholicism after Vatican II, then surely for drawing inspiration from the narrative of one moral theologian’s fidelity and commitment to the best in the Catholic tradition. Thomas A. Shannon Professor Emeritus of Religion and Social Ethics Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA RELIGION AND THE CONSTITUTION (2nd Edition) by Michael W. McConnell, John H. Garvey and Thomas C. Berg. New York: Aspen Publishers, 2006. Pp. xvii–778. Religion and the Constitution can best be described as a ponderous textbook, a casebook. Civil law students understand what this means— tomes causing much anguish and boredom: anguish intensified by the time it takes to read the cases and being called on in class to cite and explain them. It becomes increasingly apparent “separation of Church and State” ignores the necessary interaction of Church and State, religion and society, believers and unbelievers, in the public square. There is a need to think about religion and law, religion and the Constitution—a need recognized by McConnell, Garvey and Berg. McConnell is U.S. Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit and Professor at the S.J. Quinney College of Law, Utah; Harvey, Dean and Professor of Law at Boston College; and Berg, Professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, Minnesota. There is no question about their credentials. The text is comprehensive, replete with valuable excerpts from judicial decisions, historical documents, and endless questions in casebook style. It covers the history of religion under the Constitution, religion in the regulatory state, the power of the purse (over religion), the influence of government and religion on culture, and the burning question, “What is religion anyway?”. It follows a classic methodology of looking at secular legal doctrine from two perspectives: Establishment Clause/Free Exercise Clause (necessary, given the constitutional text). The authors find the Supreme Court’s resolution of questions concerning religion no more satisfactory than anyone else writing on the subject; however, they offer a rich and valuable resource for asking the right questions, probing the right issues, and critiquing inanities in the jurisprudence. While Religion and the Constitution is costly, it can well serve one teaching a course on religion and the law at the university level. Phillip J. Brown, S.S. The Catholic University of America School of Canon Law Washington, D.C. THE ECUMENICAL CHRISTIAN DIALOGUES AND THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH edited by Jeffrey Gros, F.S.C. and Daniel S. Mulhall. NewYork and Mahwah: Paulist Press, 2006. The editors (Gros, an ecumenist for thirty years and Mulhall, a catechist for twenty-five years) recognize that the Catechism of the Catholic Church forms one essential resource for Catholic educators and catechists as well as for those engaged in “the effort to bring about visible unity within the church” [1]. Thus, the Catechism assists in fulfilling the purpose of this book as summarized succinctly by the editors: “This book was written to help you understand key aspects from the [ecumenibook reviews 245 ...