Speaking to Reconciliation

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.

“Hatch’s book elucidates reconciliation as a process that exceeds the bounds of any single speech. This is especially evident in the book’s final case: reconciliation between the United Church of Canada and First Nations people. By retracing speech-acts that occurred between the oppressed and a former oppressor over the course of a dozen years and beyond, Hatch shows us that reconciliation is not a destination, but a dialogic, embodied reality—a way of life.”—Naaman K. Wood, Assistant Assistant Professor of Media and Communication Studies, Redeemer University, Ontario

• List of Figures – Foreword – Acknowledgments – Introduction – Introduction to Part I – Reconciling a Divided Nation: Abraham Lincoln – Redressing a Grave Injustice: U.S. Rep. Thaddeus Stevens – Clearing the Way of Peace on Earth: Martin Luther King Jr. – Exposing Injustice against a Horizon of Reconciliation: Desmond Tutu – Framing South African Reconciliation: Desmond Tutu – Religious Resources for Reconciliation in a Divided World: Miroslav Volf – Mindfulness as a Key to Reconciliation: Thich Nhat Hanh – Rooting Reconciliation in a Shared Past: President Mary McAleese of Ireland – Bridging America’s Racial Divide: Barack Obama – Bridging a Divide between Civilizations: Barack Obama – Bridging Religious Divides: King Abdullah II of Jordan – Introduction to Part II – Remembering and Redressing Incomprehensible Evil: Elie Wiesel – Acknowledging a Heinous Historical Crime: George W. Bush – Explaining and Offering a Historical Apology: U.S. Rep. Tony Hall – Commending the Grace of Forgiveness and Repentance: Barack Obama – Reconciliation Unfolding: United Church of Canada – Conclusion: The Ongoing Work of Reconciliation.