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In Just Catholic: The Future is Now, Phyllis Zagano, the world’s expert on women in the diaconate, speaks to the heart of the Church about the ways of the Gospel in today’s world. Her prophetic insights to new-old questions bring a fresh perspective for all Christians to consider and act on.
Endorsements
Paul was sure the Thessalonians were loved and chosen by God because the Good News was brought to them ‘not only as words, but as power and as the Holy Spirit and as utter conviction’ (1 Thess 1:5). Phyllis Zagano gives us eight years of her columns which are not only words. Her passion for justice is powerful and universal; in a word it is Catholic. Her measured calls for discernment and synodality evoke the Holy Spirit. Her grounded and informed attention to injustice at the borders of life and at national borders reflects her lived experience as a woman on the borders of a clericalized church. Her utter conviction in Just Catholic is infectious. She leads by example. Loved and chosen by God, she shows us the way to a more Catholic future especially for those women ‘whose dignity is disregarded, whose intelligence is disbelieved, and whose very humanity is discounted.
Fr Frank Brennan SJ
Rector, Newman College, University of Melbourne
Just Catholic is about Gospel justice, a must-read for every faith-filled Catholic who yearns for ecclesial reform. With characteristic courage, Phyllis Zagano addresses the innumerable and confronting issues that many in the Church fear to raise. In multiple ways, she spreads the news that “Christ is real and lives in each of us”.
Veronica Lawson RSM PhD
Author of The Blessing of Mercy: Bible Perspectives and Ecological Challenges
If you are still unconvinced about the case for ordaining women deacons and giving women “a place at the table” where Church decisions are made, then you should read this book.
Justin Taylor, s.m.
Emeritus Professor, Ecole Biblique, Jerusalem
In this aptly-named collection Just Catholic: The Future is Now, Dr Phyllis Zagano pulls no punches, yet charitably and intelligently argues for a more “just” church. Interweaving positive concepts and ideas while speaking truth to power about the areas where we fall short, Zagano has expertly assembled her columns written over an 8-year period of change. Replete with clever anecdotes, accurate historical tidbits, and a respectful discourse on difficult issues, this book was hard to put down.
Beth Doherty
Author of All the Beautiful Things: Finding Truth, Beauty and Goodness in a Fractured Church
For decades Phyllis Zagano has been making “good trouble”, asking unsettling questions of the Church, societal trends, politics, and culture. Whether it be clericalism or the justice of nutrition, her analyses are incisive and elucidating. This collection of essays covers an astounding range of topics with sharp insight and sound judgment. Highly recommended.
Dr Neil Ormerod
Professor, Sydney College of Divinity
