Leo Sandon communicates both widely and effectively... The newspa- per columns reprinted here are informal, incisive, engaging, light-hearted where appropriate and earnestly serious when that mode is required. It is surprising how few of the columns (all carefully dated) actually seem 'dated' The whole constitutes a kind of grand tour of American religion in the recent past-and it is a tour led by its own highly qualified tour guide."

Edwin S. Gaustad, Emeritus Professor History and Religious Studies, University of California, Riverside Author of A Religious History of America

"Leo Sandon is that rare bird: an academic who can write for real people. At one time or another Sandon has made everybody mad. Which means he is doing his job as a scholar and a columnist... Good journalists educate without oversimplifying the material. Good scholars edify without boring the audience. His training in theology is formidable, but his learning is never overbearing. His columns are gracefully written, cogently argued, and often funny as hell."

Diane Roberts

NPR Commentator and Professor of English University of Alabama

"In strong prose that is neither pedantic nor doctrinaire, Leo Sandon shows the relevance of religion to the compelling issues of the day. He builds a convincing case that morality is at the heart of what concerns modern men and women. Buttressed by persuasive logic, his words make us think, cause us to weigh the multiple sides of the question at hand, and to realize that there are no simple answers. Professor Sandon casts a wide net and makes amazing catches of provocative ideas that challenge his readers to reassess, rethink, and often enough, revise old concepts