Chasing Francis

Chasing Francis: A Pilgram's Tale by Ian Morgan Cron is a novel chronicling the crisis of faith of a pastor. After becoming a believer in college, Falcon helped found a church in New England which quickly became the typical mega-church, offering buildings, programs, and church membership rosters to boot. But when a small child of the congregation dies, Falcon's world- and his faith- come crashing down around his head. During a leave of absence from the church, he travels to Italy to spend time with his uncle, a Franciscan monk. Uncle Kenny leads Falcon along a pilgrimage, helping him to understand the life of Francis of Assisi and how the saint's faith affected the Church, not only in the Medieval era, but also in modern times.

The book is wonderfully written and easy to read. In general, Cron's work is very thought-provoking; what does our modern day church, with its often inward focused mentality, say about our faith? Though we may not take a vow of poverty like Franciscan monks, do we even consider the poor when we worry about affording our next big purchase? Do we simply tolerate the arts, thinking they may be nice but not essential, or do we see how the arts can point us to Beauty itself? I encourage you to read the book and work through the issues presented throughout Falcon's story.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."