D iscussions about the role of faith in specific political decisions, as distinct from the general "faithiness" embodied by the phantom crucifix in Governor Mike Huckabee’s now-forgotten Christmas campaign commercial, have been conspicuous by their absence from the recent presidential primary campaign. Although nearly all of the Democratic and Republican candidates have spoken in glowing terms about the importance of faith in public life, they have avoided addressing the complexities and pitfalls of using personal faith as a guide to public policy.