Why am I passionate about this?

Throughout my life, I have been fascinated by religion, initially in struggling with individual belief and later with its place within the social and political world. As a bioethicist, I studied and worked with patients and practitioners as they dealt with religious and moral concerns in healthcare. Then, as an international human rights advocate, educator, and governance development practitioner, I engaged with people of faith and secularists in the struggle to protect human rights and dignity as well as to attempt to promote peacebuilding in the post-conflict areas in which I worked, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Cote d’Ivoire.


I wrote

Handbook of Bioethics and Religion

By David E. Guinn (editor),

Book cover of Handbook of Bioethics and Religion

What is my book about?

I have long been interested in the role of religion in the public sphere, from questions about religious freedom in…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation

David E. Guinn Why did I love this book?

Like President Biden, whenever I want an eloquent, historically grounded analysis of the liberal American project, I turn to Jon Meacham.

In the midst of an ever-growing culture war between extremists who claim the United States was founded as a Christian Nation and those claiming an impermeable wall of separation between all religion and the state, Meacham offers a calmly argued defense of the much more nuanced American approach to religious freedom.

I love the way he teases out the religious influences that helped shape the thinking of American leaders and how they are melded with the guiding principles of liberty, justice, and respect for individual freedom as set forth in the Declaration of Independence.  

By Jon Meacham,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked American Gospel as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham reveals how the Founding Fathers viewed faith—and how they ultimately created a nation in which belief in God is a matter of choice.

At a time when our country seems divided by extremism, American Gospel draws on the past to offer a new perspective. Meacham re-creates the fascinating history of a nation grappling with religion and politics–from John Winthrop’s “city on a hill” sermon to Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence; from the Revolution to the Civil War; from a proposed nineteenth-century Christian Amendment to the Constitution to Martin Luther King,…


Book cover of God's Name in Vain: The Wrongs and Rights of Religion in Politics

David E. Guinn Why did I love this book?

In the 1990s, Stephen Carter wrote a trilogy of works on religion and politics. In the first two, he criticizes the idea of a “wall of separation” approach to religious freedom that many have viewed as being hostile toward the discussion of religious beliefs in the public sphere, and he argues that religion supports informed moral debate over issues of public policy. 

In this book, Carter returns to “the wall,” but this time, he adopts the thinking of John Winthrop, who viewed the wall of separation as a means of protecting religion from the corrupting influences of politics and power–not protecting the state from religion.

I find this of particular value as it has been absent from most recent conversations on this topic. As with Jon Meacham, Carter’s writing is eloquent, well-argued, engaging, and free of vitriol.

By Stephen L. Carter,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked God's Name in Vain as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Stephen Carter argues that American politics is unimaginable without America's religious voice. Using contemporary and historical examples, from abolitionist sermons to presidential candidates' confessions, he illustrates ways in which religion and politics do and do not mesh well and ways in which spiritual perspectives might make vital contributions to our national debates. He also warns us of the importance of setting out some sensible limits, so that religious institutions do not allow themselves to be seduced by the lure of temporal power, and offers strong examples of principled and prophetic religious activism for those who choose their God before their…


Book cover of Life's Dominion: An Argument About Abortion, Euthanasia, and Individual Freedom

David E. Guinn Why did I love this book?

In trying to exclude religion from the public sphere, most critics argue that religion precludes reasoned discussion: that secular arguments are rational and religious arguments are not.

Ronald Dworkin correctly recognizes that arguments over moral issues ultimately rest upon personal values, whether expressed in secular or religious terms. I love how he brilliantly breaks down arguments over such emotionally and morally controversial issues as abortion and euthanasia and then tries to identify the values relied on by both sides in how they attempt to justify their position.

In doing so, he makes two critical points: first, fundamental secular beliefs ultimately rest upon a religious-like understanding of the world, and second, in engaging with the thoughtful believer and secularist, it is possible to find common values. He uses the idea of the "sacredness of life" as one such meeting point shared by each.

By Ronald Dworkin,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Life's Dominion as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Internationally renowned lawyer and philosopher Ronald Dworkin addresses the crucially related acts of abortion and euthanasia in a brilliantly original book that examines their meaning in a nation that prizes both life and individual liberty. From Roe v. Wade to the legal battle over the death of Nancy Cruzan, no issues have opened greater rifts in American society than those of abortion and euthanasia. 
At the heart of Life's Dominion is Dworkin's inquest into why abortion and euthanasia provoke such controversy. Do these acts violate some fundamental "right to life"? Or are the objections against them based on the belief…


Book cover of Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill

David E. Guinn Why did I love this book?

Post 9-11, a cottage industry of neo-atheists emerged, arguing that religion inherently leads to violence and should be shunned in civilized society. Jessica Stern counters this in an insightful study of terrorism.

While religion has been associated with some of the most heinous acts of terror in recent times, she avoids simple slogans in favor of in-depth interviews with the terrorists themselves. Representing a variety of religious traditions, she explores their motivations and rationales and finds that religion is not the source of violence but, in most cases, is a tool exploited by opportunistic leaders to motivate and justify acts of violence by their followers.

I find it a well-written corrective to the neo-atheists.

By Jessica Stern,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Terror in the Name of God as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For four years, Jessica Stern interviewed extremist members of three religions around the world: Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Traveling extensively-to refugee camps in Lebanon, to religious schools in Pakistan, to prisons in Amman, Asqelon, and Pensacola-she discovered that the Islamic jihadi in the mountains of Pakistan and the Christian fundamentalist bomber in Oklahoma have much in common. Based on her vast research, Stern lucidly explains how terrorist organizations are formed by opportunistic leaders who-using religion as both motivation and justification-recruit the disenfranchised. She depicts how moral fervor is transformed into sophisticated organizations that strive for money, power, and attention. Jessica…


Book cover of A Man for All Seasons

David E. Guinn Why did I love this book?

Before it was adapted into a multi-Oscar-winning film, this was an award-winning play that brilliantly explored the conflict and complex interplay between religious institutions and leaders and their secular counterparts, religion as a source of inspiration and guidance, and the efforts of one courageous man to honor his commitment to the law and his king while also living according to his faith. 

Moreover, like the other authors on this list, Thomas More defends his faith position through reasoned argument rather than resorting to dogmatic statements of faith. In a sense, Bolt brings together the multiple strands of thought present in the other four books.

By Robert Bolt,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Man for All Seasons as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Henry VIII set up his own Church of England with himself at its head, one of the few men who opposed him was Sir Thomas More. The play contrasts More's virtue of 'selfhood' with the cynical assertion that every man has his price. 14 parts: 11 male, 3 female. Suitable for Age 14+


Explore my book 😀

Handbook of Bioethics and Religion

By David E. Guinn (editor),

Book cover of Handbook of Bioethics and Religion

What is my book about?

I have long been interested in the role of religion in the public sphere, from questions about religious freedom in a liberal society (Faith on Trial) to its role in violent conflicts and their resolution (Protecting Jerusalem’s Holy Sites). In this book, I and a diverse group of eminent scholars explore religion within healthcare and bioethics in a liberal, multi-religious world.

We explore the history of religion in the development of bioethics, the nature of its contributions to public discussions of healthcare, its place in the development of public health policies, how government agencies engage with religions, how religions contribute to how we understand moral values and ethical reasoning, its place in clinical practice, and the institutionalization of religion in healthcare.

You might also like...

Secret St. Augustine: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

By Elizabeth Randall, William Randall,

Book cover of Secret St. Augustine: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Elizabeth Randall Author Of Fire is the Test of Gold

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Reader Baker Teacher Matriarch Adventurer

Elizabeth's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Tourists and local residents of St. Augustine will enjoy reading about the secret wonders of their ancient city that are right under their noses. Of course, that includes a few stray corpses and ghosts!

Secret St. Augustine: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

By Elizabeth Randall, William Randall,

What is this book about?

It is no wonder the ancient city of St. Augustine is steeped in secrets. St. Johns, the oldest continuously occupied county in America celebrated its 450th birthday on September 4, 2015. More like a European enclave than an urban landscape, it is a place of cannon fire, street parties, historical reenactments, concerts, and more. From admiring replicas of fine art at Ripley’s Believe or Not, to hunting haunts in restaurants and museums, to eating ice cream from a recipe originated by World War II bombardiers, St. Augustine has it all from beaches, gourmet dining, festivals, and attractions. A young and…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in violence, London, and intelligence agency?

Violence 99 books
London 844 books