Catherine Meeks – författare

An unflinching look at the failure to achieve an equitable society with faith-based approaches to a meaningful racial reconciliation.

While the dream of post-racial America remains unfulfilled and the current turmoil (George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, to name a few), this examination of racism is more relevant and consequential than ever. Living into God’s Dream combines frontline personal stories with theoretical and theological reflections. It aims to forge new and truthful conversations on race and doesn’t shy away from difficult discussions, such as reasons for the failure of past efforts to achieve genuine racial reconciliation and the necessity to honor rage and grief in the process of moving to forgiveness and racial healing.

This collection of nine essays is honest, pragmatic, and courageous in its real-world view of racism and how people of faith and conscience can work together to “dismantle racism.” Review questions at the end of the book, appropriate for individual or group study, can engender deeper discussions and reflections.

"In Passionate for Justice, we find a compass that points us to the future, where we can each give voice and action to justice, equity, and life-giving community. Ida Wells would have had it no other way." —From the Foreword by Stacey Abrams, 2018 Democratic Nominee for Governor of Georgia Ida B. Wells was a powerful churchwoman and witness for justice and equity from 1878 to 1931. Born enslaved, her witness flowed through the struggles for justice in her lifetime, especially in the intersections of African Americans, women, and those who were poor. Her life is a profound witness for faith-based work of visionary power, resistance, and resilience for today’s world, when the forces of injustice stand in opposition to progress. These are exciting and dangerous times. Boundaries that previously seemed impenetrable are now being crossed. This book is a guide for the current state of affairs in American culture, enlivened by the historical perspective of Wells’ search for justice. The authors are an African-American woman and a child of white supremacy. Both have dedicated themselves to working, writing, and developing ministries oriented toward justice, equity, and mercy. This book can be used in all settings, but most especially in churches (pastors and other church leaders, study groups), seminaries, and universities.

From the winner of The President Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award, a spiritual guide to restoring yourself from racial trauma and committing to the long work of dismantling racism.

In her work as Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing, Meeks has fought tirelessly to shed light on racism and provide tools and experiences to enable faith communities to work to combat it. In this new book, she shares highlights and insights from her journey and offers a much-needed meditative guide for the weary and frustrated. By looking inward and at each other clearly, she argues, good people of all backgrounds can forge a long term and individual path to making a difference. With personal stories and thoughtful direction, she takes the reader on the trajectory from self-awareness to recognition of the past to a new and individual way forward.

Meditation topics include how to work through fear and rage, how stories can help heal, honoring your ancestors while looking toward the future, what it really means to love one another and the meaning of social justice.