The Future of the Catholic Church wit..., Garry Wills
The Future of the Catholic Church wit..., Garry Wills
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The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis

Author: Garry Wills

Narrator: Michael Kramer

Unabridged: 8 hr 25 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/10/2015

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling historian Garry Wills takes on a pressing question in modern religion—will Pope Francis embrace change?Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas, offers a challenge to his church. Can he bring about significant change? Should he?Garry Wills argues that changes have been the evidence of life in the Catholic Church. It has often changed, sometimes with bad consequences, more often with good—good enough to make it perdure. In this brilliant and incisive study, he gives seven examples of deep and serious changes that have taken place within the last century. None of them was effected by the pope all by himself.As Wills contends, it is only by examining the history of the church that we can understand the challenges facing both it and Francis, and as history shows, any changes that meet those challenges will have impact only if the church, the people of God, support them. In reading the church's history, Wills considers the lessons Pope Francis seems to have learned. The challenge that Francis offers the church is its ability to undertake new spiritual adventures, making it a poor church for the poor, after the example of Jesus.

About Garry Wills

Garry Wills, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Lincoln at Gettysburg, studied for the priesthood, took his doctorate in the classics, and taught Greek for many years at Johns Hopkins University. He has written many acclaimed works on religion, including two New York Times bestsellers. Wills is professor emeritus of history at Northwestern University.

About Michael Kramer

Michael Kramer is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner, a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, and recipient of a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award. He is also an actor and director in the Washington, DC, area, where he is active in the area’s theater scene and has appeared in productions at the Shakespeare Theatre, the Kennedy Center, and Theater J.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Bill on September 11, 2019

Here's an old Catholic joke. Q: How does the Catholic Church let us know it has changed? A: It issues a proclamation beginning with the words “As the Church always and everywhere has taught...”. Nobody knows this better than Garry Wills. Although unorthodox in some of his views, Wills--a practicing C......more

Goodreads review by Fats on April 01, 2016

Pope Francis does not see the church as changeless, as permanent, as predictable, but as a thing of surprises. And he has, in his pontificate so far, surprised many by things he has said or done. This book itself is full of surprises. I would like to point out, as other readers may already have, tha......more

Goodreads review by Gloria on April 13, 2015

Since Gary Wills is such a famous Catholic scholar, I downloaded and began reading his new book with great anticipation. What changes would Wills predict based on his intimate knowledge of the Church and his study of this Pope? And, of course, to date, Francis " . . . has changed much in the style a......more

Goodreads review by Zoe on February 13, 2023

It’s important to note this book is more a study of the Catholic Church as a whole than pope Francis specifically. It follows several movements in the Catholic Church involving things we might think are integral to its being. Pope Francis is addressed with a few sentences but mostly in the epilogue.......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on September 27, 2017

This is thorough and, like well researched books, is a bit repetitive. The point is clear; the church has changed for political and expedient reasons while denying change. The author spends most of the pages on history of important topics and controversies in the church. Wills does not really give a......more

Quotes

“Beautifully conceived and wrought essays that systematically address the wrongheadedness of the Catholic Church over centuries—and the space therein for Francis’ long-needed reforms…A welcome, thoughtful menu for the new pope on how to proceed with reform.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Is it possible, or even prudent, for an institution that has survived for two thousand years to change? The Catholic Church, according to Wills, professor emeritus at Northwestern University, has changed substantially over the course of its existence and must continue to do so if it is to survive…The section on church-state relations is well researched, offering valuable insights into the contemporary American political landscape. And though he’s not a theologian, the author has obviously read in-depth exegetical work, and he presents solid and intelligent interpretations of Scripture to buoy his theses.” Publishers Weekly

“In response to those who fear changes that Pope Francis may bring to the Catholic Church, historian Wills demonstrates here that change has been ongoing in the institution despite its reputation for immutability and that the church’s survival has resulted from adapting to the world around it…Highly recommended for all interested in a fact-based study of the church’s evolution.” Library Journal

“The specter of change looms over the Roman Catholic Church, an institution often represented as utterly inalterable…Wills writes accessibly but without a breath of condescension…The whole rings clear as a silver bell.” Booklist

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