Early Reaction to "A People of Hope: Archbishop Timothy Dolan in Conversation with John L. Allen"

I have an advance copy of the uncorrected proof and A People of Hope is dynamite. I am not to publish a review until November which is when it is published.

What I will say is that it is a Q & A series between John L. Allen and Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Allen wanted a way to show the good side of the Catholic Church that the media rarely covers. His encounters with Dolan left him feeling that this man puts a warm human face on the Church's public figure ... and does it from a position of sincerity and honesty. In a sense this book is like the Ratzinger Report which gave people insight into Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict) many years ago.

I was dipping into it here and there among the questions, which are grouped by topic (my favorite chapter title: Pelvic Issues). As far as I can tell, since I've been jumping around, Allen asks all the hard questions and Dolan answers with absolute transparency. I already admired Dolan and find this does nothing to diminish that admiration of him as "real." I am now beginning to read it in order and it continues to impress.

Actually, what I have found is that it reversed my usual reading pattern. Usually I turn to fiction to break up the nonfiction I'm reading. However, right now I'm reading Declare by Tim Powers for A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. It is rather heavy and dark, though better than I remember it from when I stopped reading about a third of the way through a few years ago. (That's the great thing about being "assigned" to read a book ... it forces you to power past the discouraging parts and find that it is a great book despite your early misgivings.)  Anyway, when I can't take it any more, I pick up A People of Hope. Even though many of the topics under discussion are contentious ones, Dolan's optimism is refreshing and a picker-upper for me.

This is another book that I'm going to keep on hand for helping with our parish's RCIA classes. Dolan's way of answering is so honest and truthful that I can't help but think it will be very useful in building a good foundation for being equally honest in turn to those who ask me for clarification, especially on touchy issues.