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The Francis Effect: A Radical Pope's Challenge to the American Catholic Church
The Francis Effect explores how a church once known as a towering force for social justice became known for a narrow agenda most closely aligned with one political party, and then looks at the opportunities for change in the “age of Francis.” Pope Francis has become an unlikely global star whose image has graced the covers of Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Time, and even the nation’s oldest magazine for gays and lesbians. The first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit, and the first to take the name of a beloved saint of the poor, Francis is shaking up a church that has been mired in scandal and demoralized by devastating headlines. His bracing critique of an out-of-touch hierarchy, pastoral style when it comes to divisive issues, and humble gestures rejecting the trappings of papal power have changed the conversation about the world’s most powerful religious institution.
But in the United States, Pope Francis finds a church that has been transformed over the past three decades by a vocal minority of culture warrior bishops, conservative intellectuals, and Christian evangelicals. The first half of the book analyzes the key trends that shaped the Catholic Church over the past century, while the second half looks at the words and actions of Pope Francis, and what they mean for real change.
But in the United States, Pope Francis finds a church that has been transformed over the past three decades by a vocal minority of culture warrior bishops, conservative intellectuals, and Christian evangelicals. The first half of the book analyzes the key trends that shaped the Catholic Church over the past century, while the second half looks at the words and actions of Pope Francis, and what they mean for real change.
- GenresSpiritualityCatholic
286 pages, Hardcover
First published August 13, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 21, 2018
This was insightful to previous histories of the church, how this pope is attempting to reform the church to one that is inviting to everyone and embracing Jesus as he was, in accepting and helping those who are less fortunate rather than a church who seemed to tilt for those who had money and listened only to how they wanted to paint things to sway their agenda. It will be interesting to watch how things move going forward. . I found, that what I have heard many young people who have left not only the Catholic church but organized Christianity in general, because they feel that it is more about judgmental score keeping rather than teaching love, help, and doing what Christ actually was telling his people. Seeing a Pope who embraces Christ like teaching would seem certainly a turn in the direction that may lead younger people back.
May 3, 2017
I really wanted to love this book. I love Pope Francis and I think he is a warm, positive force for Catholicism and the world. But the author of this book grossly oversimplifies the position of conservative leaning clergy and laypeople. The clincher for me was when he said the U.S. Bishops called for "civil disobedience" after Roe v. Wade. How exactly did they do that? Apparently by telling American Catholics not to be guided by the decision's reasoning. Okay, Roe v. Wade did not MANDATE abortions so what exactly where they "disobeying?" How do you "disobey" abortion beign legal? Opposition is not civil disobedience.
To be honest, I couldn't even finish it.
To be honest, I couldn't even finish it.
January 30, 2020
I was recently introduced to author John Gehring via an article that he wrote for America Magazine – the Catholic magazine published by the US Jesuits. I have since taken to following Gehring on Twitter and have sought out his articles in other publications. It was this appreciation of his writing and perspective that led me to picking up a copy of his book The Francis Effect: A Radical Pope's Challenge to the American Catholic Church
“The Francis Effect” was published in August of 2015 and looks at how the election of Pope Francis challenged the status quo of the US Catholic Church. Gehring details how during the decades that preceded Francis’ election, the Church slowly drifted more toward the conservative Republican ideology of American politics. Despite a long history of union mobilization, social justice initiatives, a preferential option for the poor, and a seamless garment of life ethic, the Catholic Church had by the time Pope Benedict XVI resigned become entrenched in the US culture wars. The US Church was seen by many as being primarily concerned with opposition to abortion, contraception, and LGBTQ rights. Then Pope Francis came on the scene and single handedly started to reintroduce the world to the Catholic Church, turning the conversation back to the message of Jesus in the Gospel. The Church that Francis spoke of was one alien to many American Catholics - a Church for the poor, one that spreads Mercy, and one that speaks out against the prevailing “throwaway culture” of our time. Francis often uses his favorite metaphors to describe the Church that he envisions as one that looks like a field hospital engaged in the peripheries of society; a Church that has priests and bishops that are like shepherds living with the smell of their sheep. Gehring details how the big donor class that had long tied domestic Church leaders to quite a different type of institution felt threatened and reacted accordingly.
With the perspective of hindsight, this book was published towards the beginning of Francis’ pontificate. At the time of its writing, Pope Francis had only been in his position for 2.5 years, and now another 4.5 years have passed since the book’s release. Obviously, some of the honeymoon period of Francis’ papacy has worn off by this point in time. So many things have developed since 2015 that impact the thesis of this book – new waves of clergy sexual abuse scandals have been revealed, new controversies emerged when Francis spoke out against the death penalty and nuclear weapons and in favor of married clergy, and the rise of “Trumpism” in the US certainly changes the dynamics as well. Overshadowing all of this, the opposition to Pope Francis from within the Church has seemingly intensified with each passing year. It would be really interesting to see Gehring offer a follow-up to “The Francis Effect” to get his take on some of these more recent developments.
With all of that being said, this book is still relevant and important to read today. I found Gehring’s historical reconstruction of the stance of the US Catholic Church from the New Deal, through the Vatican II years, continuing to the rise of the Religious Right, and up to the new millennium to be quite insightful. Gehring draws upon extensive sources and carefully cites all of them. Moreover, reading this account from earlier in the Francis papacy helps reignite for me some of that original enthusiasm that I felt when Pope Francis was first introduced to the world. Despite all of the headwinds his initiatives have faced in recent years, this book helps to instill hope that some of the new directions that he is trying to move in are still within reach.
“The Francis Effect” was published in August of 2015 and looks at how the election of Pope Francis challenged the status quo of the US Catholic Church. Gehring details how during the decades that preceded Francis’ election, the Church slowly drifted more toward the conservative Republican ideology of American politics. Despite a long history of union mobilization, social justice initiatives, a preferential option for the poor, and a seamless garment of life ethic, the Catholic Church had by the time Pope Benedict XVI resigned become entrenched in the US culture wars. The US Church was seen by many as being primarily concerned with opposition to abortion, contraception, and LGBTQ rights. Then Pope Francis came on the scene and single handedly started to reintroduce the world to the Catholic Church, turning the conversation back to the message of Jesus in the Gospel. The Church that Francis spoke of was one alien to many American Catholics - a Church for the poor, one that spreads Mercy, and one that speaks out against the prevailing “throwaway culture” of our time. Francis often uses his favorite metaphors to describe the Church that he envisions as one that looks like a field hospital engaged in the peripheries of society; a Church that has priests and bishops that are like shepherds living with the smell of their sheep. Gehring details how the big donor class that had long tied domestic Church leaders to quite a different type of institution felt threatened and reacted accordingly.
With the perspective of hindsight, this book was published towards the beginning of Francis’ pontificate. At the time of its writing, Pope Francis had only been in his position for 2.5 years, and now another 4.5 years have passed since the book’s release. Obviously, some of the honeymoon period of Francis’ papacy has worn off by this point in time. So many things have developed since 2015 that impact the thesis of this book – new waves of clergy sexual abuse scandals have been revealed, new controversies emerged when Francis spoke out against the death penalty and nuclear weapons and in favor of married clergy, and the rise of “Trumpism” in the US certainly changes the dynamics as well. Overshadowing all of this, the opposition to Pope Francis from within the Church has seemingly intensified with each passing year. It would be really interesting to see Gehring offer a follow-up to “The Francis Effect” to get his take on some of these more recent developments.
With all of that being said, this book is still relevant and important to read today. I found Gehring’s historical reconstruction of the stance of the US Catholic Church from the New Deal, through the Vatican II years, continuing to the rise of the Religious Right, and up to the new millennium to be quite insightful. Gehring draws upon extensive sources and carefully cites all of them. Moreover, reading this account from earlier in the Francis papacy helps reignite for me some of that original enthusiasm that I felt when Pope Francis was first introduced to the world. Despite all of the headwinds his initiatives have faced in recent years, this book helps to instill hope that some of the new directions that he is trying to move in are still within reach.
October 19, 2017
Gehring has an impressive grasp on the pulse of progressive Catholicism in the 20th century and in the very young "era" of Francis. His quotes and vignettes of theologians and politically engaged Catholics covers some of the most noteworthy players on that scene. This book is a celebration of the high profile boost that such Catholics have felt in the person and teaching of Pope Francis.
However, it is a celebration that is tallied on an ideological score card. The nuance and depth of attention given to figures whose theology or advocacy align with certain aspects of the American liberal political spectrum is not reciprocated in the flattened caricatures of Bishops and conservative Catholic pundits. While there are times I am quite sympathetic to such a score keeping or demonizing of those I disagree with, those are not my most Catholic-Christian moments, and are more self-serving than truth seeking or justice building. There is a Jesuit principle of discernment which challenges one to always infer the most positive motivations or present another's argument in the most positive of lights. Those efforts are lacking here.
But to offer Gerhing those benefits, someone whose professional life advocating social engagement central to the living of the Gospel, but too often peripheral to the ecclesial agenda, would read Francis' overtures as a deep personal affirmation, and a not so subtle public critique of those who have not just marginalized but opposed such efforts. He also attempts, toward the end, sketching examples of overcoming such polarization in search of common ground.
His concluding praise of common ground efforts is most definitely welcome, but will need a rich imagination, charitable dialogue, self-critical humility and deep deep wells of grace.
However, it is a celebration that is tallied on an ideological score card. The nuance and depth of attention given to figures whose theology or advocacy align with certain aspects of the American liberal political spectrum is not reciprocated in the flattened caricatures of Bishops and conservative Catholic pundits. While there are times I am quite sympathetic to such a score keeping or demonizing of those I disagree with, those are not my most Catholic-Christian moments, and are more self-serving than truth seeking or justice building. There is a Jesuit principle of discernment which challenges one to always infer the most positive motivations or present another's argument in the most positive of lights. Those efforts are lacking here.
But to offer Gerhing those benefits, someone whose professional life advocating social engagement central to the living of the Gospel, but too often peripheral to the ecclesial agenda, would read Francis' overtures as a deep personal affirmation, and a not so subtle public critique of those who have not just marginalized but opposed such efforts. He also attempts, toward the end, sketching examples of overcoming such polarization in search of common ground.
His concluding praise of common ground efforts is most definitely welcome, but will need a rich imagination, charitable dialogue, self-critical humility and deep deep wells of grace.
August 25, 2018
Historical context of social justice and how Francis is trying to convince the bishops to look beyond politics and focus on the economic realities of poverty.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews