Book review: No Guilty Bystander: The Extraordinary Life of Bishop Thomas Gumbleton

The following review of No Guilty Bystander: The Extraordinary Life of Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Frank Fromherz and Sr. Suzanne Sattler’s 2023 biography of Pax Christi USA’s first bishop president, was written by Anne Pearson, a member of Pax Christi USA’s Young Adult Caucus.

I live in a politically active group house in Washington, DC, a space which often acts as a base from which we organize and engage in justice work. As we have found ourselves working against militarism, racism, and homophobia on national and international levels, several philosophical questions have become a refrain of sorts: How can we engage as individuals in justice movements without losing hope or damaging our mental health? How can we continue to learn and be challenged by the world around us? What is the symbolic and tangible importance of working within an institution versus outside of it? In No Guilty Bystander: The Extraordinary Life of Bishop Tom Gumbleton, Frank Fromherz, PhD, and Suzanne Sattler, IHM, paint a picture of an activist whose life rises to answer these questions.

Tom Gumbleton was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, becoming a priest and then auxiliary bishop in his hometown. Over the course of his career, he was a leading member of the Catholic social justice movement and spoke out against the United States’ involvement in Central America, the Afghanistan and Vietnam wars, racism and abuse within his own institution, and many other issues. No Guilty Bystander does an excellent job of weaving his personal life experiences of nonviolent activism with the historical backdrop to which he was responding, rooting his story within its context. As a member of Generation Z, this approach provided background on a number of historical events which have only been briefly touched upon during my formal education, allowing me to more fully understand the importance of Gumbleton’s actions.

The book further distinguishes itself by painting Gumbleton in a human light and highlighting his ability to grow and learn. Through a compilation of personal quotes, Fromherz and Sattler explore Gumbleton’s development towards acceptance when his brother came out as gay (Chapter 9) and his changing understanding of racism while taking over as pastor of a predominantly Black parish in Detroit (Chapter 14). These were perhaps the most meaningful and impactful sections of my reading of No Guilty Bystander because they present a fundamentally countercultural and reassuring perspective, one that demonstrates that we do not enter movements fully formed but rather must shift our perceptions and actions when presented with new evidence. In a world focused on perfection, Gumbleton’s story of progress is refreshing.

The book also details the myriad ways in which Gumbleton’s progress comes from his connections in the Catholic social justice movement and in his community. Beyond the gifts of openness and vulnerability that allowed him to engage with LGBTQ+ and BIPOC members of the Catholic Church, the book shares letters and conversations with leaders like his fellow priests Dan Berrigan and Roy Bourgeois, both of whom encouraged him to become more involved in civil disobedience and nonviolent activism. By moving beyond an individualistic focus to paint Gumbleton’s actions in the wider movement and in the Church hierarchy which he occupied, the book provides a history of the Catholic social justice movement and demonstrates that effective activism is rooted within communities, another refreshing and energizing perspective.

In the end, the book does not provide one answer to the questions which have become so prevalent in my home because there is no one right answer. Through contemplative prayer and his willingness to learn and witness, Gumbleton was able to discern that his role in the transformation of the world was that of an introvert driven to activism by his convictions working within an institution, challenging it to grow for as long as the institution would allow. While it highlights Gumbleton’s life as one exemplary path, No Guilty Bystander places his work within the diverse context of those who have heard callings on other paths, leaving the door open to alternative methods rooted in humility and a willingness to grow. As such, this book is an impactful read for anyone struggling with their place in a movement or wanting to learn more about the history of Catholic social justice.

Anne Pearson, a member of the Pax Christi Youth Action Caucus and Peace Pairs program, currently lives in Washington, DC, and works to support graduate nursing students across the country at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. She has a background in education equity research and has completed a thesis on Thomas Merton’s writings on racism.