Public debate on the appropriate role of faith-based organizations in the American political system has been extensive and often quite heated, but accurate assessments of their impact has been difficult, due to a lack of reliable data on what FBOs do and how they do it. Reinventing Civil Society fills that need. It reviews and assesses what is known about the public service activities of FBOs, and poses and tests opposing models of faith-based service provision in the public sphere.

The book focuses on the degree to which there is collaboration among and between faith-based and community organizations, other non-profits, and/or the government in providing services, and considers the possibility that FBOs can become integrated into governing regimes in the civil society. It finds that service provision serves as an entree to the political system for all types of non-profits, including FBOs, and that collaborative networks are critically important in both the provision of services and in their political roles.

Reinventing Civil Society is generously illustrated with maps, tables, diagrams, and a chronology of key legislative events. A detailed Appendix of research methodological notes provides a useful "road map" for students, scholars, and policymakers.