Kristen E. HEYER, James F. KEENAN, Andrea VICINI, eds., Building Bridges in Sarajevo: The Plenary Papers from CTEWC 2018. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2019. Pp. 228 + xvii. $42.00 pb. ISBN 978-1-62698-342-7. Reviewed by Michael J. McGRAVEY, Elms College, 291 Springfield St., Springfield, MA 01013.

            Fr. James Keenan, SJ’s ambitious idea of bringing global ethicists together to converse culminated most recently in 2018 in Sarajevo in the shadows of the recent horrors that afflicted Bosnia and Herzegovina. Under his leadership, the Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church (CTEWC) convened aiming to connect ethicists, theologians, and activists. The text itself includes a message of welcome from Pope Francis, introductory remarks by Keenan, Andrea Vicini, and Kristen Heyer (the event planners), a homily by Cardinal Blaise A. Cupich, followed by a collection of short essays coinciding with eight plenary sessions. The conference brought together over two-hundred and sixty ethicists from around the world to discuss local, national, and international topics of interest. These teachers, scholars, and advocates represent various organizations, institutions, Catholic religious orders, and dioceses. The concept and theme of ‘building bridges’ serves as the nucleus for both the conference and this resulting text.

            The conference’s theme encourages those gathered to communicate and begin collaborative projects that will have a real impact on the communities these scholars live and work in. Many of the essays evoked the names of top scholars (e.g., Cahill, Keenan, Massingale, Uzukwu, etc.) and emerging voices (e.g., Aikiokhai, Carmona, Floerke Scheid, Ssebunya, etc.) in their fields.  Important for this conference were the voices of the marginalized, minorities, and women. Special emphasis was placed on those communities and countries where individuals are often treated as less-than, reduced to a mere cog in a market-driven world with concern only for their production and buying potential versus their well-being. Further emphasis is placed on the need for ethicists to engage their non-Christian counterparts via dialogue.  Building bridges, in this case, is not limited to the West or Northern Hemisphere; rather, is intended to reach all continents where ethicists and theologians teach, conduct research, and engage the public.

            Striking is the engagement with the current politics across the globe. For example, essays discuss the ethical violations of President Duterte, Prime Minister Modi, President Trump, the AFD Party in Germany, and the Chinese government in Hong Kong, to name a few.  Essays focused on these men, political systems, and movements serve as appropriate, public critiques of the many human rights and ethical violations they and their enablers have committed. Concern
with the rise of authoritarianism, and the increase in nationalistic rhetoric are highlighted in several essays. Financial and market-driven policies are also of concern to several authors, especially when such policies affect and afflict the impoverished communities these scholars advocate for in their work and research.

            Of particular importance and contribution to the field of ethics is this text’s engagement with the various locales these scholars represent (either culturally or in their work). The need to build bridges extends to not only the cultural differences within humanity but the difficulties we as human beings face regularly.  For example, authors shared their advocacy for HIV treatments, those who are sick and destitute, those who face varying forms of structural violence, or lack a voice and an advocate in the ivory towers of power. Likewise, concerns regarding the historical treatment of indigenous and impoverished people of Africa, Latin, and South America— often one and the same—are highlighted multiple times, echoing the concerns of Pope Francis in several of his teachings. The mistreatment of migrants, immigrants, and refuges around the world is of particular importance for several authors. Our collective failure to see the important role these women, men, and children have in society speaks to our inability to recognize the other so that we might dialogue and therefore engage, ultimately seeking a common good.

            The collection’s theme of building bridges reverberates from cover to cover. Its focus on connecting ethicists is only eclipsed by the need to collaborate on issues which affect people globally.  Recognizing opportunities to engage issues impacting the daily lives of citizens remains central to the plenary sessions and the authors mentioned herein. The book as a whole complements the authors’ larger research and community projects, encouraging the reader to explore their work further and incorporate several of these ethical concerns in areas of interest (socially, academically, publicly, etc.).