"Proclaim Liberty: Notes on the Next Great Awakening" to be released on Oct. 9

Contact: Andrew Walther, Knights of Columbus, 203-752-4253, 203-824-5412

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Oct. 9, 2012 /Standard Newswire/ -- As Americans prepare to vote for a host of local, state and national leaders, a new e-book provides insights to Catholics -- members of a key voting bloc -- on how to vote in a manner consistent with their Church's social teaching.

The e-book Proclaim Liberty: Notes on the Next Great Awakening was written by New York Times bestselling author and Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl Anderson. It was released by Image Books, an imprint of Random House, October 9.

Available from online booksellers to those with e-readers or free, downloadable computer, tablet and smartphone software, the e-book consists of three major speeches given by Anderson over the past year: one at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, another to the Catholic Press Association, and the final to the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders.

In these speeches, Anderson makes the case that Catholics have the power to transform our political process by voting in a manner consistent with their faith on core issues and by bringing charity into our political process.

"Now making up one-fourth of the population of the United States, Catholics are uniquely suited to creating this transformation by bringing charity into public life, by following Catholic social teaching in their own lives, and by withholding our votes from candidates and propositions that oppose Church teaching on matters of intrinsic evil. This should be done in every case, in every race for political office, regardless of the party of the candidate. Though it is impossible to say which party might benefit most in the long run, if Catholics take such a stand, we could literally change the face of our country's political debates," Anderson notes.

In addition to laying out a comprehensive plan for voting with a well-formed conscience, the e-book also tackles some of the thorniest political issues of the day, including the ongoing debates over First Amendment's promise of religious freedom.

Among those issues discussed at length is the administration's HHS Mandate, which seeks to force on America a new and narrow definition of religion that's at odds with Christianity while simultaneously coercing many religious institutions and individuals to provide insurance coverage for abortion-causing drugs, sterilization and contraception, in violation of their religious beliefs -- and the First Amendment's guarantee of free exercise of religion.

Anderson said that "Catholics and other Christians will find in this e-book a thought-provoking conversation about our political situation today and how we ought to approach our responsibility in voting. Here we make the case that faith ought to transcend party affiliation in every case, and that those of faith ought to approach their politics from the point of view of their bible and religion, rather than approaching their religion and bible from the point of view of their politics."

For more information or to order visit kofc.org/proclaimliberty. The e-book retails for $2.99, and all author proceeds go to charity.