What does it mean to go out to the margins, specifically as Catholic Christians? Dr. Ansel Augustine, an advocate for African Americans with the U.S. bishops, provides a compelling and practical guide in his new book, “Praying with Our Feet: Encountering God in the Margins.”
In actuality, to call it a guide is an injustice. It’s more than that. It’s a clarion call from a faith leader who embodies walking the walk and living out God’s call.
Weaving together personal anecdotes, Catholic social teaching, and Ignatian spirituality like the Afrocentric tapestries he has come to love, Augustine presents the reader with a road map and model of how to put faith into action.
This action, as reflected in the book title, he calls “praying with our feet.” It calls individuals to go beyond words and platitudes and engage in faith by encountering those on the margins, recognizing them as the image bearers of God that they are. As Augustine illustrates, this is no small feat. It goes to the depths of who we are: brothers and sisters endowed with dignity from God.
Augustine explores and illuminates these depths with clear and concise definitions of concepts that undergird living out faith, including justice, dignity, and mercy. Beyond that, he elucidates holistic, actionable steps to counter affronts to the dignity of the marginalized. For example, cultivating authentic relationships with underserved communities, supporting local initiatives, and advocating for the forgotten in spaces where they're unrepresented.
Anyone can find something to do to make an impact, Augustine says, no matter where circumstances find them. Though addressing injustice can seem like an indomitable feat, in his book he offers no excuse to the question, “What can I do?” or “Where do I begin?” Given his extensive background in ministry, taking Augustine’s insights to heart would not be a bad start.
In “Praying with Our Feet,” Augustine provides a stirring, practical call to action to those seeking to do the same. Anyone desiring an accessible means to live the Catholic social teaching in everyday life would do well to read this book.
Praying with Our Feet: Encountering God in the Margins
$19.99 paperback ($16..99 ebook)
Rana Irby is a freelance writer from Detroit, focused on the intersections of faith and culture.
