Speaking to Reconciliation
Description
In North America, Africa, and across the globe, many societies are deeply divided along racial, ethnic, political, or religious lines as a result of violent/oppressive histories. Bridging such divides requires symbolic action that transcends, reframes, redeems, and repairs-often drawing upon resources of faith. Speaking to Reconciliation showcases this tradition through speeches by Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Elie Wiesel, Desmond Tutu, Barack Obama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Jordan's King Abdullah II, Ireland's President Mary McAleese, and others. Some of these speeches set forth principles or spiritual practices of reconciliation. Others acknowledge injustice, make apologies for historical wrongs, call for reparations, or commend the power of forgiveness. Speaking to Reconciliation presents a conceptual framework for doing analysis and critique of reconciliation discourse and applies this framework in introductions to the speeches, offering readers a springboard for further study and, potentially, inspiration to promote justice and reconciliation in their own spheres.
Reviews / Votes
"John Hatch's Speaking to Reconciliation will be a welcome addition to my undergraduate rhetoric curriculum. Distilling Kenneth Burke's frames of acceptance and directing its focus on reconciliation rhetorics, this book can help students craft connections across the humanities-in communication, religion, and politics. If my undergraduates can imagine a just and peace-building discourse in this increasingly divisive civic sphere, they will have the skills to engage and improve our world. Hatch's text skillfully provides both the theory and the practice for my students to understand that reconciliation." -Camille K. Lewis, Visiting Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Furman UniversityMore details
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Person
John B. Hatch (Ph.D., Regent University) is Professor of Communication Studies at Eastern University. His book Race and Reconciliation won the 2009 Top Book Award from the NCA Communication Ethics division. He has published numerous articles on racial reconciliation, dialogic rhetoric, religion, and culture.
