A good read. -- J. Mark Ramseyer, Harvard Law School * The Mennonite Quarterly Review * The Courts and the Colonies is an informative discussion ... It is a valuable addition to Hutterite studies specifically ... more generally the book has important things to say about the legal status of all communal religious societies in North America. -- Rod Janzen, School of Humanities, Religion and Social Sciences, Fresno Pacific University * Great Plains Research, vol 16, no.1, Spring 2006 * [The Courts and the Colonies] was riveting, and we found it hard to put down each night when time came to turn off the light and catch forty winks. -- Anglicans Online Anyone thinking the secular courts can solve a church conflict should read this book before launching such action. It is a sobering cautionary tale. * Presbyterian History * Esau's references to these factors in the social and economic context and his understanding of the theological issues supplement his thorough analysis of the legal issues and specifically the question of freedom for religious groups. Together, they make this a most valuable book. -- William Janzen, Ottawa Office of Mennonite Central Committee Canada * Canadian Historical Review *