Bookshelf.

Beyond Comparison: Sex and Discrimination by Timothy Macklem (Cambridge University Press, 2003, 212pp) The author argues that a recognition of differences between men and women is the first step towards an end to discrimination against women.

Bridging Science and Religion edited by Ted Peters and Gaymon Bennett (Fortress Press, 2003, 260pp) Scientific, philosophical and religious experts have collaborated in an important conversation that seeks to bring together two often contradictory disciplines.

Documentary History of the Legal Aspects of Abortion in the US: Stenberg v. Carhart by Roy Mersky and Tobe Liebert (Hein, 2003, 2 vols: 649pp & 611pp) With the so-called "partial birth" abortion ban again in front of the US courts, this is a collection of all the documents, briefs and arguments presented in the previous debate before the Supreme Court in 2000.

The Global Face of Public Faith: Politics, Human Rights and Christian Ethics by David Hollenbach, SJ (Georgetown University Press, 2003, 290pp) A series of essays examining the role religion should play in shaping public policy, arguing that religion can and should be a more vigorous advocate of peace and democracy.

Globalizing Family Values: The Christian Right in International Politics by Doris Buss and Didi Herman (University of Minnesota Press, 2003, 197PP) A timely look at the international agenda of the Religious Right, how it impacts on global politics and women's lives around the world.

The Inquisition in Hollywood: Politics in the Film Community, 1930-60 by Larry Ceplair and Steven Englund (University of Illinois Press, 2003, 544PP) While fascinating in its own right, the fourth edition of this classic text is especially of interest as it documents the role the Catholic hierarchy played in censorship of the movies, right from the early years of the film industry.

My Struggle for Freedom by Hans Kung (trans. John Bowden, Win. B. Eerdmans/Novalis, 2003, 478pp) The first in a planned two-volume set, this all-encompassing memoir from one of the best-known Catholic theologians of the 20th century brings us up to the mid-1960s, after which his fascinating and stimulating life became even more interesting.

The Naked Parish Priest: What Priests Really Think They're Doing by Stephen H Louden and Leslie J. Francis (Continuum, 2003, 232pp) More than 1,400 priests from England and Wales completed surveys for this study, which shows that many of them have similar attitudes towards hierarchical pronouncements that lay Catholics have (e.g., the hierarchy's views on mandatory celibacy and its opposition to contraception and homosexuality are not shared by the majority of priests).

The Popes: Histories and Secrets by Claudio Rendina (trans. Paul D. McCuster, Seven Locks Press, 2002, 643pp) A fascinating and comprehensive collection of biographies of all the popes which also serves as a very informative history of Rome, Catholic politics and hierarchical shenanigans.

The Pro-Life/Choice Debate by Marls Y. Herring (Greenwood Press, 2003, 200pp) One in a series of guides on controversial issues, this is a useful and even-handed introduction to the debate on abortion in the US.

Protecting America's Health: The FDA, Business and One Hundred Years of Regulation by Philip J. Hilts (Knapf, 2003, 394pp) With ongoing battles over testing HIV vaccines, the use of breast implants and the abortion pill, RU486, regularly making the news, this is a timely and enthralling overview of the US food and drug industries.

A Question of Truth: Christianity and Homosexuality by Gareth Moore, OP (Continuum, 2003, 308pp) The author, a Dominican priest, argues convincingly that neither natural law nor scripture hold any animosity towards homosexuals, despite assertions to the contrary by the Catholic hierarchy and the Religious Right.

Real Choices: Feminism, Freedom and the Limits of Law by Beth Kiyoko Jamieson (Pennsylvania State University Press, 2003, 259pp) An important and accessible addition to the body of contemporary feminist academic literature, reasserting the primacy of the individual to developing a feminist theory of liberty.

Reproductive Issues in America by Janna C. Merrick and Robert H. Blank (ABC-CLIO, 2003, 241pp) With so much vitriol present in the debate over reproductive rights, this is a useful and balanced introductory handbook that includes a comprehensive resource section.

Sacred Rights: The Case for Contraception and Abortion in World Religions edited by Daniel C. Maguire (Oxford University Press, 2003, 295pp) An important collection of essays on ten religions' attitudes towards reproductive rights, by leading academic voices in the field.

Sex and the State: Abortion, Divorce and the Family under Latin American Dictatorships and Democracies by Mala Htun (Cambridge University Press, 2003, 219pp) An important book for anybody concerned about the history and future of reproductive rights in Argentina, Brazil and Chile, with considerable information about the role the Catholic hierarchy played in preventing access to divorce, birth control and abortion.

Sexual Rights in America: The Ninth Amendment and the Pursuit of Happiness by Paul R. Abramson, Steven D. Pinkerton & Mark Huppin (New York University Press, 2003, 226pp) A fascinating, but all-too-brief argument for the inclusion of sexual freedoms among the unenumerated rights in the Ninth Amendment.

War Against the Weak by Edwin Black (Four Walls Eight Windows, 2003, 550pp) A compelling account of the eugenic movement in the US in the early 20th century arguing that America's eugenics program gave scientific credence to Hitler's Final Solution. Unfortunately, the author concludes that contemporary genetics has the potential to be similarly abused.

Why the Religious Right is Wrong about Separation of Church and State by Robert Boston (Prometheus Books, 2003, 281pp) An updated and expanded edition of Boston's 1992 book, this is a very useful overview for students and those seeking an introduction to an issue that is not likely to go away any time soon.

Women's Movements Facing the Reconfigured State by Lee Ann Banaszak, Karen Beckwith & Dieter Rucht (Cambridge University Press 2003, 350pp) An important academic overview of how previously revolutionary and radical women's movements in Western Europe and North America have adapted to neoliberal developments and, in many ways, been incorporated by the state.