Father Albert Nolan, OP

By Sister Irene Hartman, OP

Albert was born in Cape Town, South Africa, as a fourth generation South African of English descent. He will always be remembered as one who played an important part in the Church struggle against apartheid, a work which he continues today.

In the meantime, his writings have become well known, especially his 1976 classic, “Jesus Before Christianity,” in which he stressed the political aspect of Jesus’ mission. Nolan 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 that resonated with white Catholics seeking a new, progressive direction.

His 2006 book, “Jesus Today,” focuses on the spirituality of Jesus and its relevance for his readers today. After surveying the signs of the times, especially the prospect of global warming and the extinction of various species, he outlines the lessons which might promote a greater communion with God and with all of God’s creation. He is not afraid to tell the world:

If we fail to cooperate, the ego might triumph and our species, among others, might become extinct. But the rest of the universe will continue, and God’s limitless creativity will take the universe to yet greater heights without us, as a species. We do not know what the future holds, but we do know that God’s work will continue.

But Nolan is not a pessimist. He also tells his readers:

We can give up doing our own thing and begin to participate in the only work that is effective and real: God’s work. That may include many of the things we are already doing, but in a new way, with new motivation. Most highly motivated people are motivated by their egos. When we sideline the ego we can go through a period of feeling unmotivated or de-motivated, until one day we begin to express a form of motivation that is unstoppable because it is the Work of God.

There are countless numbers of people around the world who are doing God’s work. The challenge we face is to join them, if we have not already done so.

As a youth, Albert began reading the works of Thomas Merton and was led to the idea of joining a religious order. Eventually he joined the Dominicans in 1954, and studied in South Africa and Rome where he earned a doctorate. He became a teacher of theology for his own people in South Africa. He was a partner in the writing of the “Kairos Document” in 1985. Always interested in the common affairs of his people, he started a radical church magazine called Challenge. He accepted the highest office of any Dominican in South Africa as the vicar-general from 1976-1984, and from 2000-2004.

One of his truest tests of his interest in ordinary folks came in 1984 when he was elected to the highest office in the entire order, that of master general. He refused to accept the office because that would take him away from his people as he called the South Africans. he could not see himself in an office in Rome when South Africans needed him so desperately.

Father Albert Nolan continues to struggle for democracy, human rights and justice, and challenges the religious dogma of the theological justifications of apartheid. The words of Father Albert Nolan match his actions in today’s world.