Baker, President Emeritus of Arizona Baptist Children's Services, presents clear, compelling, and historically based arguments for church-state cooperation, particularly in the context of providing human services to those in need. The author highlights the hypocrisy of a total separation between church and state, given the long history of cooperation in the United States, from colonial times to the present. He writes: "The thesis of this book is that organized religion (churches, synagogues, mosques, kingdom halls, etc.) can work together for the 'common good' with civil authorities, without violating the principles that each holds as a sacred trust."

Baker presents much evidence that religion and government can work together, and he underscores the fact that successful cooperation has occurred throughout both world and national history. Some of the volume's historical passages are abbreviated and simplified due to the necessity of covering a great deal of territory within the framework of the topic, but the author provides a robust bibliography for the reader's examination. In addition to exploring the topic on a national level, Baker highlights the roots of the US rule of law in English Common Law and the Magna Carta, and he also delves into Greek and Roman influences, as well as the long history of the Catholic Church.

While there is repetition of information that sometimes feels unnecessary, it appears this happens when the material is considered important enough to warrant review within the context of particular chapter themes. The writing is accessible to any reader interested in the often-controversial topic of church-state separation, even though the discussion is academically oriented. Baker's arguments are supported by numerous illustrative examples from his own experiences and historical references, well-cited with various sources. The author's steady and encouraging voice shines through the prose, distilling a difficult topic into bite-sized points that are easily digestible.

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