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On Earth As It Is in Heaven:: Restoring God's Vision of Race and Discipleship
Encounter an authentically Catholic perspective on God’s vision for the universal Church to be united “on earth as it is in heaven.”
From Fr. Josh Johnson, co-author of the popular Pocket Guide to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, author of Broken and Blessed and host of the weekly podcast “Ask Fr. Josh,” comes On Earth as It Is in Restoring God’s Vision for Race and Discipleship.
This book follows Fr. Josh’s journey of serving as the only Black priest in the diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fr. Josh draws from the riches of Scripture, personal experience as a Catholic of color, his priestly ministry, and the wisdom of the Church to encourage Catholics to understand more deeply the call of Christ to make disciples of “all peoples and nations (Matt. 28:19).”
With the help of On Earth as it is in Heaven, Catholics can work towards bringing the kingdom of Heaven to earth by reaching out to people of all backgrounds.
Through this book, readers will
Learn more about bringing unity to the Church by living as the communion of saints on EarthRead practical tips for encouraging discipleship and bringing unity into your community and parishHear Fr. Josh’s story about becoming a priest and other stories from his life of ministry“Fr. Josh Johnson speaks with love, conviction, and urgency when he calls on Catholics to ‘accompany people of all races, ethnicities and languages in discipleship.’ Jesus gave permission to the world to judge whether we are authentic when He said, ‘By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ Not only do ‘I’ need to be transformed by the power of the Eucharist, but ‘we’ need to be transformed together as witnesses to the world. If we want to see the world change, On Earth As It Is In Heaven gives us the tools to begin this work!”
-Jeff Cavins
Creator of The Bible Timeline® Learning System
“In On Earth as It Is in Heaven, Fr. Josh Johnson has given the Church a tremendous gift. This is a beautiful, powerful, challenging book. Every Catholic in the United States (and beyond) should read it. And not just read it. Study it, pray about it, discuss it, and then ask God to help us work together to make the Church on earth a living mirror of the Church in heaven, in which people from 'every race and tribe and people and tongue' are truly one in the body of Christ (Rev 7:9, NAB).”
– Dr. Brant Pitre
Author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist
“On Earth As It Is In Heaven … provides tools that can help all people ‘join together at the Eucharistic table.’”
-Valerie E. Washington
Executive Director of The National Black Catholic Congress
From Fr. Josh Johnson, co-author of the popular Pocket Guide to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, author of Broken and Blessed and host of the weekly podcast “Ask Fr. Josh,” comes On Earth as It Is in Restoring God’s Vision for Race and Discipleship.
This book follows Fr. Josh’s journey of serving as the only Black priest in the diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fr. Josh draws from the riches of Scripture, personal experience as a Catholic of color, his priestly ministry, and the wisdom of the Church to encourage Catholics to understand more deeply the call of Christ to make disciples of “all peoples and nations (Matt. 28:19).”
With the help of On Earth as it is in Heaven, Catholics can work towards bringing the kingdom of Heaven to earth by reaching out to people of all backgrounds.
Through this book, readers will
Learn more about bringing unity to the Church by living as the communion of saints on EarthRead practical tips for encouraging discipleship and bringing unity into your community and parishHear Fr. Josh’s story about becoming a priest and other stories from his life of ministry“Fr. Josh Johnson speaks with love, conviction, and urgency when he calls on Catholics to ‘accompany people of all races, ethnicities and languages in discipleship.’ Jesus gave permission to the world to judge whether we are authentic when He said, ‘By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ Not only do ‘I’ need to be transformed by the power of the Eucharist, but ‘we’ need to be transformed together as witnesses to the world. If we want to see the world change, On Earth As It Is In Heaven gives us the tools to begin this work!”
-Jeff Cavins
Creator of The Bible Timeline® Learning System
“In On Earth as It Is in Heaven, Fr. Josh Johnson has given the Church a tremendous gift. This is a beautiful, powerful, challenging book. Every Catholic in the United States (and beyond) should read it. And not just read it. Study it, pray about it, discuss it, and then ask God to help us work together to make the Church on earth a living mirror of the Church in heaven, in which people from 'every race and tribe and people and tongue' are truly one in the body of Christ (Rev 7:9, NAB).”
– Dr. Brant Pitre
Author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist
“On Earth As It Is In Heaven … provides tools that can help all people ‘join together at the Eucharistic table.’”
-Valerie E. Washington
Executive Director of The National Black Catholic Congress
- GenresCatholic
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 3, 2022
12 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 28, 2023
I love Fr. Josh and the way he approaches things. This is a book the church needs. The Catholic church has many flaws. Some it has worked to correct, such as the sexual abuse, but others have remained intact and unchallenged. Racism within the church and in the world is in direct contrast to the teachings of the faith. This book offers the history within the church, examples of healing and equity, Saints who fought against this oppression, and tangible ways to combat racism in the church and in the world in ways aligned to the Catholic faith.
December 10, 2025
3.5 stars. Love Fr. Josh’s podcast!
Overall, a very good and practical book on how to fully integrate all members of the body of Christ into the parish community. The main thesis: go into the communities within the geographical boundaries of the parish boldly and proclaim the Gospel. As a biracial man with non-Catholic and Catholic family members, Fr. Josh can draw in his own personal experience in black and white communities and pair them with historical data surrounding racial tensions. He gives actual, practical advice on reaching Black Americans that can easily be adapted to other communities -like the disabled, the poor, etc.
The biggest downside in this book is that it wasn’t super well organized. It was written in the same style that he speaks, which isn’t as smooth in paper as it is in a podcast.
Overall, a very good and practical book on how to fully integrate all members of the body of Christ into the parish community. The main thesis: go into the communities within the geographical boundaries of the parish boldly and proclaim the Gospel. As a biracial man with non-Catholic and Catholic family members, Fr. Josh can draw in his own personal experience in black and white communities and pair them with historical data surrounding racial tensions. He gives actual, practical advice on reaching Black Americans that can easily be adapted to other communities -like the disabled, the poor, etc.
The biggest downside in this book is that it wasn’t super well organized. It was written in the same style that he speaks, which isn’t as smooth in paper as it is in a podcast.
March 27, 2023
I really love Father Josh's podcast, so my husband bought me his book. Back in the summer of 2020 Fr. Josh did a series of episodes regarding racial issues and reconciliation, and they were some of the most humble and gentle yet truthful and straightforward talks regarding race issues in the United States. I recommend them to everybody, regardless of race of religion. I found the podcast episodes to be more impactful than his book, but the book is still very well written and an engaging read. I am definitely not an expert on racial reconciliation, but I have read several books on the topic, both Protestant and secular. I hadn't read anything from the Catholic perspective, and I'm happy I was able to listen to this different voice. I would recommend this book for anybody who hasn't really looked into racial reconciliation yet and would like an introduction to the concept. Fr. Josh has such a beautiful way of being both honest and humble at the same time, which many of us (including myself) are lacking.
Edited to add: I am not Catholic, but my husband is, and I attend Catholic church with him. I'm still a rebellious little Protestant. Fellow Protestants: don't be afraid to read something Catholic!
Edited to add: I am not Catholic, but my husband is, and I attend Catholic church with him. I'm still a rebellious little Protestant. Fellow Protestants: don't be afraid to read something Catholic!
March 24, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Much of what I wrote in my review of Lillian Fallon’s book Theology of Style ( https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )—also published by Ascension—applies here too.
The conversations and ideas Fr. Josh raises are huge and need more attention and conversation in the Church than they’re currently being given. But like Lilly’s Ascension-published book, Fr. Josh’s also has weaknesses in its editing and use of source material. From typos (Siena is spelled correctly and as Sienna on the same page) to pretty big statements footnoted to a single secondary source (the statement that some drug crimes were subject to the death penalty, sourced only to the book The New Jim Crow), these detract from the incredibly important subject matter of the book.
Ascension is on the right track with publishing books like these, but it needs to invest in better publication support for its writers to truly do justice to their authors and subject matter.
The conversations and ideas Fr. Josh raises are huge and need more attention and conversation in the Church than they’re currently being given. But like Lilly’s Ascension-published book, Fr. Josh’s also has weaknesses in its editing and use of source material. From typos (Siena is spelled correctly and as Sienna on the same page) to pretty big statements footnoted to a single secondary source (the statement that some drug crimes were subject to the death penalty, sourced only to the book The New Jim Crow), these detract from the incredibly important subject matter of the book.
Ascension is on the right track with publishing books like these, but it needs to invest in better publication support for its writers to truly do justice to their authors and subject matter.
September 2, 2023
Fr. Josh Johnson outlines the history of racial discrimination within American history and the American church. He does a wonderful job thoughtfully giving concrete action steps that people can engage in to create racial reconciliation within the Church. Obviously this book is from a Catholic perspective, but most of the tools he outlines can be applied to all Christian churches in order to create unity within the Body of Christ.
November 11, 2022
I've been listening to Fr. Josh's podcast for over a year and appreciate much of the thoughts and wisdom he shares. The same was true here. There was a lot I didn't know about the church and it's past history with slavery and such. And this is written with great love for the Catholic faith (he's a priest!). It was a very welcome perspective.
July 17, 2022
Father Josh Johnson really opens up this issue of racial awareness within the Catholic Church. He makes the information interesting and easy to understand. This is a much needed look at what we may miss about racial issues that could inhibit our growth as the body of Christ.
August 16, 2022
Fr Josh is excellent in bringing a contemporary voice to the Catholic Church. I found this book thought provoking and inspiring. I intend to read it again and again so that I might be a better Christian and understand these characteristics of racism and bring greater harmony to our world.
December 31, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! Wonderful insight into the Catholic community of parishes made up of predominantly African American in Louisiana. Churches must go out of their way to be a welcome place to EVERYONE!
June 5, 2022
Very good book on racial issues in the Catholic Church. The author is a black priest. The writing is warm, but serious. You can tell he is a holy man of God. Highly reccomend!
September 23, 2022
A must read book for all Catholics.
June 2, 2024
Read this for my thesis paper and dang it has some HARD hitting stuff. Highly recommend!
November 18, 2024
Generally do not rate/review books by people I know, but... it made me think and pray, which I'm sure Fr. Josh would appreciate.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews