Religion is usually thought of as inconsequential to contemporary Canadian politics. This book takes a hard look at just how much influence faith continues to have in federal, provincial, and territorial arenas. Drawing on case studies from across the country, it explores three important axes of religiously based contention – Protestant vs. Catholic, conservative vs. reformer, and, more recently, opponents vs. defenders of accommodating minority religious practices. Although the extent of partisan engagement with each of these sources of conflict has varied across time and region, the authors show that religion still matters in shaping political oppositions. These themes are illuminated by comparisons to the role faith plays in the politics of other Western industrialized societies.

David Rayside is a professor in the Department of Political Science and an associate of the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies at the University of Toronto. He is the author of  Queer Inclusions, Continental Divisions: Public Recognition of Sexual Diversity in Canada and the United States.

David Rayside's profile page

Jerald Sabin's profile page

Paul E.J. Thomas' profile page

This is a solid monograph, based on an impressive array of sources ... It is also very readable, and mercifully free of jargon, making it accessible for undergraduates and interested lay readers outside academia. It is recommended to anybody seeking to understand the role of religion in the recent Canadian political landscape. It is also an important contribution to the ongoing debate over 'secularization' in Canadian society.

Canadian Parliamentary Review