Religion returns to the public square : faith and policy in America

Despite talk of a naked public square, religion has never really lost its place in American public life. As the 21st century opened, it was re-emerging in unexpected and paradoxical ways. Religious institutions were considered for expanded roles in welfare and education, at the same time that the limits of religious pluralism - as, for example, in the relation of Islam to American values - became a question of urgent public concern.