The following has been received from Paddy Ferry…
This, below, is from Fr. Jim Martin tonight telling us of Fr. Albert Nolan’s death.
I first became aware of Albert from reading one of Fr. Joe Dunn’s excellent book “No Lions in the Hierarchy”.
In chapter 19, Joe’s heading is Albert’s description of himself: “Like Jeremiah, I am a very reluctant prophet”.
Radharc must have featured him in a programme. Like so many other great men the so called Holy Office was not kind to him.
I am sure this notice of his death will prompt comment from those who know more about him than I do.
Fr. James Martin, SJ
Dear friends: The great Dominican theologian and author Albert Nolan, OP, has died. The South African’s book “Jesus before Christianity” was the first book I had read that situated Jesus in any sort of historical context. Of course I knew that Jesus was “fully human and fully divine,” but the “fully human” part seemed a mystery to me, until I read Nolan’s book as a Jesuit novice. His book, which detailed life in the first century, and especially showed Jesus as a champion of the poor and marginalized, was a revelation.
His short but powerful book started me on a life-long quest (that still continues!) to understand as much as I can not only about the “Christ of faith” but the “Jesus of history.” Because of course, they are the same person. And why would you not want to know as much as you can about what life was like in first-century Galilee and Judea, so that you can understand Jesus’s ministry–his preaching and his healing–as thoroughly as you can? If you’ve not read his book, please do.
May Father Nolan now meet the same Jesus he introduced to so many people, “face to face.”
Association of Catholic Priests