A White Catholic's Guide to Racism and Privilege

by Daniel P. Horan

Winner of a 2022 Association of Catholic Publishers Excellence in Publishing General Interest (Third Place). Growing up, Fr. Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., never thought much about race, racism, or racial justice except for what he read in history books. His upbringing as a white, middle-class Catholic shielded him from seeing the persistent, pervasive racism all around him. Horan shares what he has since learned about uncovering and combatting racial inequity in our nation and in our Church, urging us to join the fight. In the spring and summer of 2020, US cities erupted in protests and racial tensions ran high following several high-profile killings of Black women and men at the hands of white police officers. As America watched and listened, many of us became dislodged from our comfortable assumptions about race. Horan recognized this unnerving dynamic as a doorway to the awakening and spiritual conversion he has been undergoing for much of his adult life. In A White Catholic’s Guide to Racism and Privilege , Horan speaks prophetically to what has become a gnawing unease for so many. With candid critique and reflection, Horan helps us makes sense of crucial issues such   As a white man, Horan shows his fellow white Catholics how to become actively anti-racist and better allies to our Black brothers and sisters as we work against racism in our culture and in the Church. He offers us the hope and surety of the Gospel, the wisdom of Catholic tradition, and some practical ways to educate ourselves and advocate for justice. Each chapter includes a substantial suggested-reading list. This book is perfect for individual or group study.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Catholic, Anti Racist

224 pages, Paperback

Published September 3, 2021

About the author

Daniel P. Horan, OFM, is a Franciscan friar of Holy Name Province (The New York province), a columnist for America magazine, and the author of several books including, most recently, The Last Words of Jesus: A Meditation on Love and Suffering (2013); Francis of Assisi and the Future of Faith: Exploring Franciscan Spirituality and Theology in the Modern World (2012); and Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St. Francis (2012). His next two books, both scheduled for release this Fall, are titled: The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton: A New Look at the Spiritual Influence on his Life, Thought, and Writing (Ave Maria Press) and Postmodernity and Univocity: A Critical Account of Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Fortress Press). He is the author of dozens of scholarly and popular articles in journals including Theological Studies, New Blackfriars, The Heythrop Journal, Worship, Cistercian Studies Quarterly, among others, and a frequent lecturer and retreat director around the United States and Europe. He has previously taught in the Department of Religious Studies at Siena College and in the Department of Theology at St. Bonaventure University. Fr. Dan is currently completing a PhD in Systematic Theology in the Theology Department at Boston College, is the Catholic Chaplain at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., and serves on the Board of Directors of the International Thomas Merton Society.

Reviews

[Emily Correia · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone raised in a Catholic home and attended a Jesuit college, I thought this book would be a thoughtful analysis of unconscious bias and ways for people to not only identify, but make meaningful changes to their lives. Unfortunately, this is more along the lines of a college thesis about the state of racism in our world.

The first thing that struck me about this book is that it reads a lot like a college thesis. The author states his intentions and his desired audience multiple times before starting with any actual material. The author also asks questions and clearly outlines he’s arguments for his answers.

The author does dive deep into the places where our subconscious is leaning us toward ingrained racist tendencies without realizing it. As the author talks about the importance of understanding your own level of bias, he is sure to balance the empathy required to see how your actions or beliefs can impact others. He also brings in current events in a way that helps to illustrate what is happening every single day in the world around us. One other really great thing the author does is list additional reading ideas at the end of each chapter, promoting further education on specific topics.

The one place I think this book truly lacks is the inclusion in exploring racism against more communities than just Blacks. I think there was an oversight through a lot of the writing in not also discussing the experiences of the Latino or Asian groups.

Until the very end (last ~30 pages) he also does not offer any suggestions on solutions or ways to address the institutionalized racism in our daily lives. I was really looking for this book to have a call to action to help people make meaningful changes in their lives.

While I didn’t love how the book was written like a dissertation or a collection of standardized test essays, in times like today, it is so important that more people try to spark conversations about meaningful topics, like these.

[Kasey · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are better books about anti-racism out there, and written by people of color, too. I think that as an entry point, however, this serves a useful purpose of situating anti-racist work as something that Catholics should be concerned about. This book is, perhaps intentionally, fairly surface level, going over topics of white privilege, reverse-racism, institutional racism, and so on from the standpoint of showing what the church teaches about race and how the church has failed to act on those teachings. I think the discussion of white fragility and white rage are actually pretty good, as are the sources that he quotes. Doran does a decent job of positioning himself and the topic within the very specific context of his task. I would have liked more specific examples from time to time, for example when talking about white privilege in the liturgy. I think that people in the American church tend to forget that the church is global and our experience is not the end-all of Catholicism writ large and the acknowledgment of that further helped situate things. As a starting point, this book does a fine job, but it shouldn't be an endpoint and I appreciate the substantial further reading sections in which Horan guides readers to other sources. Thanks to Ave Maria Press for the advanced copy of this book.

[James Francis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is just not a good book. The author read a lot of books and articles about race and privilege — many of which I have read too — but he does nothing to interpret then we’ll or make decisions about what is more or less helpful in understanding the dynamics of structural racism. Moreover, there is nothing notably Catholic about this book. The author’s personal magisterium seems to be the guild of “enlightened” liberal scholars. He bends over backward to fit in there. This book is certain to harden the opposition of those who are skeptical about the realities of whites privilege and structural racism. In that way, this book is definitively counter-productive to its stated goal.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a white Catholic cisgender man, akin to the author, this is likely the most important book I will read this year. I anticipate this will ignite my journey toward further and future understanding, education, and ally-ship.

I hope this helps me in my interactions as a DEI leader in my current organization, as well as personal relationships and relatives who are all too comfortable with casual, thinly veiled racist remarks and sentiments.

[Richard Pütz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am sure mine and many others have shared a similar perspective of being raised in a white middle-class world went to basically all white catholic grade school especially during the 50s and 60s and have for years thought we weren't racist, but this is a most excellent perspective of the privilege we experienced

[Robbie Melton · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve read all year

[Kathy Bartlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first part of this book covered material I have read before but I thought the last two chapters were great. One of the few books on this topic that addressed the question - but what can I do!