New Book Club Explores Intersections of Racism and Religion

This semester, the Department of Religious Studies, the Office of Campus Ministry, and Senior Diversity Officer Dr. Marlowe Washington are collaborating to host a book club that explores the intersection of religion and racism.

The club’s formation is inspired in part by a quote from Fordham professor, Fr. Bryan Massingale: “If racism at its core is soul sickness, then we need a remedy that can reach the inner reaches of the human spirit.” Each book the club reads will approach racism from the perspective of a different religion.

A White Catholic’s Guide to Racism and Privilege, written by Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., is the first book on the club’s list.

The book club will meet during lunch on Tuesday, Feb. 22 and Tuesday, March 22. A third session on Tuesday, April 12 will include a discussion with the author. Horan is a familiar face on campus; in 2018 he presented the lecture, “Martin, Malcolm, and Merton: The Work for Racial Justice and the Responsibility of Catholic Spirituality.”

To register for the book club, email Fr. Kevin Mannara, CSB, at kmannara@sjfc.edu. The book can be bought through various booksellers, and will also be provided free of charge to anyone who requests a copy and plans to participate in the club.