Faith and Politics: How the "Moral Values" Debate Divides America and How to Move Forward Together

A former U.S. senator and ordained Episcopal priest examines the controversial intersection of faith and politics in America

As a former three-term Republican U.S. senator from Missouri and an ordained Episcopal priest, John C. Danforth has watched the changes in his party and the church with growing alarm. After penning two op-eds for The New York Times criticizing the right for its focus on wedge issues—abortion, stem-cell research, gay marriage, the Schiavo case, the public display of religion—that drive people apart, he speaks out again to call for a change.

“The Republican Party has been taken over by something that itÂ's not,” Danforth says. “People do not want a sectarian political party, including a lot of people who are traditional Republicans.” In Faith and Politics, Danforth provides suggestions for moving toward a more secular Republican party that inspires trust in the people of the United States. Based on years of hard- won political experience and a life of religious service, he calls for Christians to look to the Bible and Christian teachings for ways in which they can practice their faith day to day and turn the countryÂ's focus to a common ground once more.

As a respected former senator, special envoy for peace in Sudan, priest, as an author, Senator Danforth is uniquely qualified to call for the change we so desperately need. He writes openly about his political life and ambition, humbly about his achievements, and above all with clarity and reason that both Republicans and Democrats hear all too little of.

John C. Danforth is an ordained Episcopal priest, former three-term U.S. senator (R- MO), and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. In 2001, President Bush appointed Danforth as special envoy for peace in Sudan, where he worked to broker a peace agreement that, in 2005, ultimately ended the twenty-year civil war.