Garret FitzGerald was the Prime Minister of Ireland between 1981 and 1987. He is widely credited with bringing a studied theological understanding of state affairs to Irish politics. The book is divided into two parts dealing with overviews of church-state relationships in Ireland since the founding of the Free State, and then specific areas of encounter between politics and religion. Some of the subjects covered in the twelve essays include family law and morality, education, the health services, bio-technology, and economic policy.