Despite Americans' traditional emphasis on the separation of church and state, both in theory and practice, few are aware of the hundreds of millions of public dollars that flow annually to religiously based nonprofit organizations. Based on a massive nationwide survey of nearly 800 such groups, Stephen V. Monsma's important study explores the implications of this financial partnership.

The author develops a new legal principle, positive neutrality, that both justifies public funds going to religious nonprofit groups and draws boundaries between permissible and impermissible use of public funds. This is crucial reading for all Americans concerned about the relationship between church and state.