African-American Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers delivers honest and authentic response to racism

SAN FRANCISCO — An honest and authentic response to the epidemic of racism has long been needed in America. Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers seeks to deliver that response through the lens of the Catholic Church in his new book, BUILDING A CIVILIZATION OF LOVE: A CATHOLIC RESPONSE TO RACISM (Ignatius Press).

Burke-Sivers, known worldwide as the Dynamic Deacon, is one of the most sought-after speakers in the Church today. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s in theological studies from the University of Dallas. Burke-Sivers hosts his own weekly broadcast, From the Rooftops, on Radio Maria, and is the host of several popular series on EWTN, including Behold the Man: Spirituality for Men. He is married with four children. Prior to becoming a Catholic speaker and author, Burke-Sivers served as a police officer for 23 years.

A worldly, political response to racism is not working: Black Lives Matter, Critical Race Theory, Liberation Theology — these have spectacularly failed, says Burke-Sivers in his book. BUILDING A CIVILIZATION OF LOVE is a Catholic Christian response to the epidemic of racism, firmly rooted in the Scriptures, the natural law, the Church’s Tradition, and our identity as children of God.

BUILDING A CIVILIZATION OF LOVE is not about condemnation but rather provides an honest and thoughtful take on racism throughout the history of America and the Catholic Church, and details practical ways to respond from a Catholic worldview. Burke-Sivers isn’t shy about revealing his own experiences of both racism and prejudice as a black man himself yet seeks to heal rather than condemn.

“Pope Leo XIII, when inaugurating modern Catholic Social Teaching, emphasized that the ultimate solution to social problems can be found only in religion,” said Edward Feser, Ph.D., author of All One in Christ: A Catholic Critique of Racism and Critical Race Theory. “But too many Catholics today look at such problems through an essentially secular lens. In addition to its many other virtues, Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers’ fine book approaches the problem of racism in a way that takes Pope Leo’s crucial insight seriously.”

For more information, to request a media review copy, or to schedule an interview with Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, please contact Kevin Wandra (404-788-1276 or [email protected]) of Carmel Communications.

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