This volume offers an in-depth examination of a diverse range of faith-based programs
implemented in three different geographical locales: family support in rural Mississippi
transitional housing in Michigan and addiction recovery in the Pacific Northwest
(Washington-Oregon). Various types of religious service providers-faith-intensive and
faith-related-are carefully examined and secular organizations also serve as an illuminating
point of comparison. Among other insights this book reveals how the three C's of social
service provision-programmatic content organizational culture and ecological context-all
combine to shape the delivery of welfare services in the nonprofit world. This book warns
against simplistic generalizations about faith-based organizations. Faith-based providers
exhibit considerable diversity and quite often remarkable resilience in the face of
challenging social circumstances. An appreciation of these nuances is critical as policies
concerning faith-based organizations continue to evolve.
