Reluctant Prophet: Tributes to Albert Nolan Op

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 "dogma" 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.

Mike Deeb OP is a Dominican in Southern Africa, who was General Promoter of Justice and Peace & Permanent Delegate to the United Nations for the Dominicans. Prior to that he was YCS chaplain in South Africa and also former chaplain to the International YCS and International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS). Philippe Denis OP is a member of the Dominican Order in Southern Africa. He is Emeritus Professor of History of Christianity at the University of Kwazulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. He currently works as Research and Development Manager in the Kwazulu-Natal Christian Council. Mark James OP is a Dominican who lives in Manzini, Eswatini, Southern Africa. Mark was National Chaplain of YCS (1999-2004), and was a member of the National Catholic Federation of Students (NCFS) and Young Christian Students (YCS) while a student at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (1981-1985). He was Provincial of the Dominicans in Southern Africa from 2004 to 2012.