First, don’t brush this book off with the assumption it’s just jumping on the bandwagon. I requested my review copy before the new Pope took his name. I won’t deny, however, that reading all the news articles on both the original and new Francis made me even more interested in the history Chasing Francis unfolds.

Chasing Francis is a rare book. Instead of being “historical fiction,” it is a fictional story about one man learning the history of St. Francis of Assisi. This means the book is rich with actual history. The different myths and writings about the church father were the focus of the book. Many times when I encounter historical figures in fiction, I find after some research that their stories were tweaked or limited for the sake of the story. In the case of Chasing Francis, this is really a history book cleverly disguised as a novel.

Secondly, it’s the story of an evangelical pastor swept along on a pilgrimage by exuberant Franciscan monks. Yet, it remains impartial. There are moments when you cringe at the portrait the author paints of the phenomenon of the mega church. There are moments when you cringe at the legalistic attitudes of the Catholics. With a very even hand, Mr. Cron paints a picture of two sides that error most when their focus falls away from God, but also two sides that have different approaches toward the same truth. I love how awkward Chase is interacting with the monks at the beginning. Scared of them trying to convert him, respectful of their beliefs, and intrigued by the ideas they are presenting him with. There’s a lot of talk these days about the church’s need to bridge the gap between different types of believers. There’s a few excellent lessons to be learned about that here, most of which involve a lot of grace on one side or the other.

As a rule I don’t really enjoy stories centered on a Christian losing or doubting faith and then reclaiming it in the end. Frequently, they are too trite and seem too focused on what life without God looks like. However, Chasing Francis came across as very genuine. It is the story of what happens when our faith is entirely based on reason and understanding and then are handed something the human mind is incapable of explaining or understanding. And it doesn’t just argue that believing with the heart instead of the head is the fix. It simply tells the story of life lived with a belief that fully transfuses every moment and breath, and allows it to speak for itself.

My thanks to Zondervan for providing me with a copy of Chasing Francis via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion of the book.