Ram A. Cnaan with Stephanie C. Boddie, Femida Handy, Gaynor Yancey and Richard Schneider, The Invisible Caring Hand: American Congregations and the Provision of Welfare.

New York: New York University Press, 2002. $60.00 hardcover, $19.50 papercover.

Although religious congregations have historically been engaged in social welfare, their charitable activities have now been politicized. Influenced by Christian conservatives, the Republican Party has actively promoted the greater involvement of religious charities in social service delivery arguing that they are an effective alternative to public provisions. Supporters of faith based services claim that religious charities are far more responsive to the poor and needy, and that their programs are less costly, more efficient and delivered with greater compassion than those of government bureaucracies. They urge the government to fund religious charities and permit them to use public revenues to promote their sectarian agenda.

Following the election of President George W. Bush, some of these proposals have been implemented. For the first time, an office responsible for faith based initiatives was established in the White House, and the provisions of the 1996 welfare reform legislation that permitted religious charities to provide social services, without separating their charitable and religious missions, was given greater impetus. The President made it clear that he favored the greater involvement of the churches in social welfare and, to the delight of religious conservatives, he promised that his administration would actively promote faith based provisions.

It is in this context that Cnaan and his co-authors have sought to assess the contribution that religious congregations make to social welfare. Their book reports on a study of no less than 215 of these congregations in different parts of the United States and Canada. Each congregation was visited and detailed interviews were undertaken to determine the nature and extent of their engagement in social welfare. In addition to providing conventional charitable services such as food pantries and clothing closets, many of the congregations were involved in community based activities including recreational and educational programs, support for neighborhood associations, artistic performances and community fairs.

Cnaan and his co-authors reveal that religious congregations make a very significant contribution to social welfare not only in terms of the goods and services they deliver but in terms of their wider educational and advocacy role. In financial terms, they found that the amount of cash resources the congregations allocated to social service provision was quite small but, when volunteer time and other non-cash resources were taken into account, their contribution is more substantial. Nevertheless, the authors conclude that religious charity cannot replace government provision. Even if the government were to allocate sizable resources to religious organizations for welfare purposes, these organizations do not have the infrastructure or expertise to assume a major role. Consequently, the authors propose that a closer partnership between government and religious organizations be forged. In addition, the contribution of faith based organizations to fostering a pluralistic conception of social welfare should be emphasized.

Cnaan and his colleagues have produced a thoughtful and significant book. It is well written, fully documented and based on a prodigious amount of research. Dedicated investigators traveled around the country to interview the leaders and members of diverse congregations and a large amount of valuable information was collected. The book makes a major contribution to our understanding of how religious congregations engage in the social welfare field and how their role can be enhanced. It is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the issues attending faith based social welfare today.