Archbishop Chaput of Denver has long been a clear and reasoned voice when it comes to the intersection of faith and politics. Now it appears that he will be releasing a book next month on just that subject, titled Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life, well in time for November's election:

Explaining that Catholics must bring their convictions into the voting booth, he argues that Catholics’ citizenship must be grounded in religious belief as a moral duty and a gift to American life. Among the issues the archbishop urges Catholics to strengthen their voice on for are abortion, the death penalty, immigration, poverty, and other social justice issues. The debate on these matters is crucial and the teachings of the Catholic Church can make a strong contribution to the common good, the archbishop says.

His book reaffirms the close link between personal Catholic faith and public action and also defends the right of religious believers to challenge secular authority in the name of human dignity. “In this sense, the Catholic church cannot stay, has never stayed, and never will stay out of politics,” he writes.

Catholic faith is “always personal, but never private,” he continues. “Citizens serve their country best when they take their moral convictions respectfully, but unapologetically, into public debate… American Catholics are better citizens when they first live as more faithful Catholics.”

We've had voting guides before, of course, but this sounds as if it will go well beyond a simple checklist of items Catholics must (or must not) vote for, and rather delve into an understanding of why they should do so, and why it is necessary and proper for Catholics to bring their faith into the political sphere in the first place.

With as clear a teacher as Chaput is, I imagine this will be a must-read.