Racial Justice and the Catholic Church

includes index and biblioraphy

1. What Is Racism? ..... 1 An Explanation of Terms / 2 Prelude and Context: The Election of an African American President / 3 The Browning of America and Racial Resistance / 9 Racism and Culture / 13 To What End? The Justification of White Privilege 733 Conclusion / 41 2. An Analysis of Catholic Social Teaching on Racism ...... 43 Prologue: A Context for This Discussion / 44 Discrimination and the Christian Conscience (1958) / 50 The National Race Crisis (1968) / 55 Brothers and Sisters to Us (1979) / 61 Analysis of Recent Statements by Individual Bishops / 70 Critical Observations concerning Catholic Social Teaching on Racism / 74 A Concluding Black Catholic Reflection: "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" / 78 3. Toward a More Adequate Catholic Engagement ........ 83 The Challenge of Racial Reconciliation / 85 Other Resources in the Faith Tradition / 103 Compassion and Intentional Cross-Racial Solidarity / 116 Church Practices That Facilitate Racial Solidarity / 120 Concluding Reflection: A Confession of Faith / 125 4. "A Dream Deferred" Meditations on African American Understandings of Justice and Hope... 130 The Fundamental Principle or Norm: Universal Conclusion / 132 The Unstated Vision: The "Welcome Table" and the "Beloved Community" / 135 Theoretical Implications of This Vision / 143 The Importance of Hope in the Pursuit of Justice / 145 5. The Vocation of the Black Catholic Theologian and the Struggle of the Black Catholic Community Speaking Truth to - and from - Two Traditions ...... 151 The Vocation of the Black Scholar / 153 The Vocation of the Catholic Theologian / 157 The Vocation of the Black Catholic Theologian / 159 The Challenges of the Black Catholic Theological Vocation / 162 The Struggles of Being a Black Catholic Theologian / 167 The Joys of Being a Black Catholic Theologian / 169 The Significance of the Black Catholic Theological Vocation / 172