Albert Nolan
Encyclopedia
Albert Nolan, O.P. is a Roman Catholic priest
and member of the Dominican order
in South Africa
.
, South Africa, as a fourth-generation South African of English descent. Reading the works of Thomas Merton
, Nolan became attracted to the idea of religious life (i.e. joining a religious order). Eventually he joined the Dominican Order in 1954, and studied in South Africa and Rome, where he received a doctorate.
In the 1960s, he taught theology at the Dominican training institution in South Africa, associated with the University of Stellenbosch. In the 1970s, he became the national chaplain to the National Catholic Federation of Students.
From 1976 to 1984, he was Vicar-General of the Dominicans in South Africa. In 1983, he was elected Master of the Order of Preachers. He however declined the office which would have meant transferring to his order's Rome headquarters, preferring to remain in South Africa during this decade of intense political and social transition. During this period he worked for the Institute for Contextual Theology, and was involved in the circle of pastors and theologians who started the process that led to the Kairos Document
in 1985.
In the 1990s, as a result of his conviction that theology must come from the grassroots level and not an academic, he started a radical church magazine called Challenge, of which he was the editor for many years. From 2000-2004, Nolan served a third term as Vicar-General of the Dominicans in South Africa.
Nolan published his second major work, God in South Africa in 1988. At one point during the writing process he 'went underground' to hide from the Security Forces during the State of Emergency
in South Africa. God in South Africa is a primary example of contextual theology: written as a theology for that particular moment, without a claim to its possible relevance in other times and places. In 2006, Nolan published his Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom (Orbis Books
).
Nolan is reportedly at work on another work with the working title Contemplation, Action, and the New Cosmology.
, Toronto
, Canada
.
In 2003, the South African government awarded him the Order of Luthuli
in silver, in recognition of "his life-long struggle dedication to the struggle for democracy, human rights and justice and for challenging the religious dogma including theological justification of apartheid".
On 15 November 2008, the Master of the Dominican Order, Fr Carlos Azpiroz Costa
, has promoted Fr Albert Nolan OP as a Master of Sacred Theology
in recognition of the significant contribution he has made to theological research and debate.
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and member of the Dominican order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Life
Nolan was born in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa, as a fourth-generation South African of English descent. Reading the works of Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton, O.C.S.O. was a 20th century Anglo-American Catholic writer and mystic. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion...
, Nolan became attracted to the idea of religious life (i.e. joining a religious order). Eventually he joined the Dominican Order in 1954, and studied in South Africa and Rome, where he received a doctorate.
In the 1960s, he taught theology at the Dominican training institution in South Africa, associated with the University of Stellenbosch. In the 1970s, he became the national chaplain to the National Catholic Federation of Students.
From 1976 to 1984, he was Vicar-General of the Dominicans in South Africa. In 1983, he was elected Master of the Order of Preachers. He however declined the office which would have meant transferring to his order's Rome headquarters, preferring to remain in South Africa during this decade of intense political and social transition. During this period he worked for the Institute for Contextual Theology, and was involved in the circle of pastors and theologians who started the process that led to the Kairos Document
Kairos Document
The Kairos Document is a theological statement issued in 1985 by a group of black South African theologians based predominantly in the black townships of Soweto, South Africa. The statement challenged the churches' response to what the authors saw as the vicious policies of the Apartheid state...
in 1985.
In the 1990s, as a result of his conviction that theology must come from the grassroots level and not an academic, he started a radical church magazine called Challenge, of which he was the editor for many years. From 2000-2004, Nolan served a third term as Vicar-General of the Dominicans in South Africa.
Writings
Nolan became famous for his 1976 book, Jesus before Christianity, in which he presented an account of Jesus' radical involvement in the struggle for full humanity in the context of first-century Palestine: he "challenged the rich to identify in solidarity with the poor, a spirituality of solidarity that resonated with white Catholics seeking a new, progressive direction" (Egan 1999). The book was translated into nine languages, and a 15th anniversary edition appeared in the early 1990s.Nolan published his second major work, God in South Africa in 1988. At one point during the writing process he 'went underground' to hide from the Security Forces during the State of Emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
in South Africa. God in South Africa is a primary example of contextual theology: written as a theology for that particular moment, without a claim to its possible relevance in other times and places. In 2006, Nolan published his Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom (Orbis Books
Orbis Books
Orbis Books, is an American imprint of the Maryknoll order, that has been a small but influential publisher of liberation theology works, founded by Nicaraguan Maryknoll priest Miguel D'Escoto with Philip J. Scharper in 1970. It was the first to publish Gustavo Gutiérrez's seminal work A Theology...
).
Nolan is reportedly at work on another work with the working title Contemplation, Action, and the New Cosmology.
Public Honours
In 1990, Albert Nolan received an honorary doctorate from Regis CollegeRegis College
Regis College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts and sciences college located in Weston, Massachusetts. Founded as a women’s college in 1927, Regis became co-educational in 2007.-History:...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
In 2003, the South African government awarded him the Order of Luthuli
Order of Luthuli
The Order of Luthuli is a South African honour. It was instituted on 30 November 2003, and is granted by the president of South Africa, for contributions to South Africa in the following fields: the struggle for democracy, building democracy and human rights, nation-building, justice and...
in silver, in recognition of "his life-long struggle dedication to the struggle for democracy, human rights and justice and for challenging the religious dogma including theological justification of apartheid".
On 15 November 2008, the Master of the Dominican Order, Fr Carlos Azpiroz Costa
Carlos Azpiroz Costa
Carlos Alfonso Azpiroz Costa, O.P., J.C.D. is a Roman Catholic priest of the Dominican Order. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he was elected Master of the Order of Preachers at the 2001 General Chapter of the Order in Providence, Rhode Island.In January 2008, at the General Chapter of the Order...
, has promoted Fr Albert Nolan OP as a Master of Sacred Theology
Master of Sacred Theology
The Master of Sacred Theology is a second-level graduate degree for those who wish to pursue a year of more advanced coursework focusing on a particular discipline....
in recognition of the significant contribution he has made to theological research and debate.
Literature
- Nolan, A 1976. Jesus before Christianity: The Gospel of Liberation.Jesus before ChristianityJesus before Christianity is the short title of the book Jesus before Christianity: the Gospel of Liberation, by Albert Nolan. Published London: Darton, Longman and Todd. ISBN 0-232-51373-2. in 1972 Also published by Orbis Books...
London: Darton, Longman and Todd. ISBN 0-232-51373-2. (Rev. ed. 1992) Also published by Orbis Books (USA). - Nolan, A 1988. God in South Africa: The Challenge of the Gospel. Cape Town: David Philip; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans; Gweru: Mambo Press; London: CIIR. ISBN 0-86486-076-5, ISBN 1-85287-010-9, ISBN 1-85287-014-1, and ISBN 0-8028-0413-6.
- Nolan, A 2006. Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom. Orbis Books (USA). ISBN 978-1-57075-672-6.
- Denis, P 1998. The Dominican Friars in Southern Africa: A Social History, 1577-1990. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 90-04-11144-1.
- Egan, A 1999. Catholic intellectuals. In: Brain, J & Denis, P (eds). The Catholic Church in contemporary South Africa. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications. 314-348.
- Speckman, M T & Kaufmann, L T (eds). 2001. Towards an agenda for contextual theology: Essays in honour of Albert Nolan. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications.
External links
- Interview with Albert Nolan
- "The South African Experience": essay by Albert Nolan
- South African official government note on award of Order of Luthuli to Nolan
- Reference to a 'Radharc Film' about Nolan
- In The New Republic, Frances Kissling makes the case for electing Albert Nolan as the new pope in 2005...
- Theo Kneifel writes a theological 'review' of Nolan's work (in German)
- Fr Albert Nolan OP is honoured again