"Read this great book for a new appreciation of how the 'sacred work of justice' includes the guarantee of reproductive choices for all women. Read it for its historical insights, for its timely observations, and for its unprecedented account of an alliance that continues to be a defining force of the pro-choice movement."-Sarah Weddington, winning attorney, Roe v. Wade

"Tom Davis's brilliant narrative is a compelling contribution to the overheated debate about faith and reproductive rights."-Frances Kissling, president, Catholics for a Free Choice

In the struggle for reproductive freedom, there are religious extremists at one end and liberal secularists at the other. Lost in this battle and often invisible to the public eye are the religious leaders and institutions that have worked in favor of protecting reproductive rights.

In Sacred Work, Tom Davis brings to light the ways in which the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, a leading reproductive rights organization, and the clergy are not as incongruent as they often are construed to be. Although clergy supporters of choice are rarely, if ever, given attention in the media, Davis shows that they in fact play a major role in advancing women's rights, rebutting right wing arguments, and helping to make (and keep) abortion legal nationwide.

Beginning with Margaret Sanger's efforts to include mainline clergy in the fight to provide information about contraceptives to the general public, Davis details the religious and historical dimensions of this long alliance up through current debates. Drawing on stories of real women and men who are struggling to be faithful in the face of genuine dilemmas, this book cuts through the politics and semantics that typically surround the issue of reproductive rights.

Tom Davis was an associate professor of religion at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, where he is also chaplain emeritus. He is an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ in Cleveland, Ohio.