Rosalie Riegle Troester

Healing the Racial Divide

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Lincoln Rice's text describes racism in both the theology and actions of the Roman Catholic Church and engages readers in a compelling examination of whether racism is heretical or 'merely' sinful. As Rice shows, racism attacks the integrity of the mystical body, a doctrine that deeply influenced Dorothy Day and those in the Catholic Worker movement, including the African-American Chicagoan Arthur Falls. The life of Falls, so effectively retold here, shows that his moral suasion and nonviolent action had lasting results in integrating Chicago institutions. As Falls said, 'If you're right, you don't always lose.'”