Reluctant Hero

This book is a collection of essays in honour of Albert Nolan OP, who died in October 2022 at the age of 88. Awarded the 'Order of Luthuli in Silver' by then President Thabo Mbeki in 2003 for his 'life-long dedication to the struggle for democracy, human rights and justice and for challenging the religious &quote;dogma&quote; especially the theological justification for apartheid', Nolan inspired a generation of Christian activists and theologians. From 1973-1980, he served as national chaplain for the National Catholic Federation of Students (NCFS) and also, until 1980, for the Catholic Students Association (CASA), which was formed in 1976 after black students began organising themselves into separate formations as Black Consciousness flourished. In 1977, Nolan was instrumental in establishing Young Christian Students movement (YCS) in South Africa. The contributions in this volume come from people around the world who knew him or worked with him over the years. The contributions deal with his family life, his time with the student movements, his life as Dominican, his periods as Dominican Provincial in Southern Africa, his involvement with the ANC, his work as a writer, a publisher of a journal and life in his later years. There are over 65 contributions, along with a Foreword by Timothy Radcliffe OP, a former Master General of the Dominicans.