On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family, and the Church in the Twenty-First Century

I received this book in the mail yesterday and I am almost finished with it. It is a series of conversations between then-Cardinal Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and a Rabbi of the area named Abraham Skorka. They discuss frankly and respectfully many different topics including Interreligious Dialogue, the Holocaust, Abortion, Same-Sex Marriage, Nationalism, and many more. However, the theme that seems to be a constant in the book is an honest evaluation of religious leaders and institutions in general, with each author often times pointing out how those who speak in the name of God can be more of a hindrance than a help to true religion. It is certainly a call for purification of religious sensibilities among all believers, but especially among the pastors of the flock.I am a Catholic, and I must admit that the only reason I purchased this book was to learn more about the personality and opinions of our new Pope. I even started the book by skipping over all of Skorka's comments, just to focus on Pope Francis' words. But occasionally I would glance at Skorka's comments and I began to realize that they were fascinating and profound in their own right. His knowledge of Talmudic lore or Jewish folk stories (such as the story of the Golem of Prague) was extremely interesting. For someone not well versed in Jewish theology, it was a delight to learn more about this religion. It is evident from these conversations that Judaism can enrich Christian thought and vice-versa.I recommend this book as a good introduction to the personality of Pope Francis, but also as a fascinating encounter between two of the great world religions. It failed to achieve the full five-star rating because although it is a good book, it is not a great book. It is casual in tone, with each author sometimes getting slightly off topic, and does not always delve as deep as one would like into the issues. However, these flaws are not unusual among this genre of writing.

I received this book as a gift for Christmas and agree with the high Amazon rating. I know it sounds like the beginning of a poor joke, "What would a Pope talk about if he were to have an honest, open, constructive conversation with say a Biophysicist Rabbi?" Still, it was like being a fly on the wall in a conversation that I often wanted to join.The Pope was a "meager" archbishop from the Jesuit tradition when these conversations happened, but to me, it is a powerful reminder that many of the things we imagine and talk about with the people around us will become our reality in the future. It's hard looking at the politics, violence and other disappointments around us and then to imagine incredible, positive outcomes (flashes of heaven on earth) that will grow from those ungodly places, but that's what this Rabbi and Archbishop from Argentina did in their dialogue.My takeaway is that for these two men and for us, it's not about a religious sect, a political party or a country. Pope Francis would probably say it just seems to be about loving your neighbor and God as well as yourself. His now famous "who am I to judge" comment was not just about the question asked of him, it reflects a much deeper understanding of his neighbor.The kindness, eyes-wide-open awareness, willingness to get their hands dirty and the prayer that through it all enables linking in to God's larger plan are the DNA that seem to be woven through both the both Pope's and the Rabbi's lives.

"On Heaven and Earth" truly is a must read during this first year of the Francis Papacy. Just like anything we receive from any media source, it is essential that we go to the original sources, not so much what is the interpretation of a person. This is certainly the case with our beloved Holy Father Pope Francis. This remarkable book gives us his personal insight on a whole host of issues, ranging from God and the Devil to poverty and abortion. This book was originally published in 2010 before Cardinal Bergoglio became Pope. This book takes the form of a conversation between Cardinal Bergoglio and Rabbi Abraham Skorka, which makes it an easy, yet delightful read. You can really sense the admiration between the two men and their willingness to speak frankly on various issues. In many ways, this is the ideal primer to Pope Francis. I really appreciated this quote from the Pope, when talking about prayer and God: "What every person must be told is to look inside himself. Distraction is an interior fracture. It will never lead the person to encounter for himself for it impedes him from looking into the mirror of his heart (3)." We certainly live in a culture that has proven to be an expert on discovering new distractions, that keep us aware from knowing our identity in Christ. This is a fantastic book. Read it and you will know that heart and mission of our new Holy Father.

This wonderful book works on a number of different levels. It gives an insight into the thoughts of the new Pope and the directions in which his pontificate might move. It certainly gives the lie to his having anything whatever to do with opporession or discrimnation from what ever quarter it might come - even the former regimes inArgenmtina. On another level it is a very useful and clear example of Chrisitan-Jewish relationships and the curent state of this dialogue. Finally, this book should be read by anyone interested in the interface between relgion and politics and the quest for sovcial justice in both.

An excellent erudite introduction to Roman Catholic and Jewish theology. This is a genuine Moral and Ethical dialogue between Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) and Rabbi Abraham Skorka spread over a period of time whilst living in Argentina. I felt as though I was intruding into their private lives A wonderful read from which I have gained so much.

This is an ideal book for the lay person, whatever his/her religious beliefs. It is very accessible and does not demand a profound understanding of theology though it deals with profoundly important issues. What really appeals to me as I read it is that I have a sense of actually being in the company of the Pope Francis and Rabbi Skorka while they exchange their views. One gets the feeling of being in the presence of two very holy men who nevertheless are very much in tune with the 21st century. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who is interested in exploring theological questions, as well as world issues that affect the lives of all of us

Gives an excellent insight into the new Pope's thinking on many subjects. Well worth a read, even for non-Catholics, because you will get another view of Catholic teaching that isn't hidebound. An uplifting and broadening experience.

This book is a revealing discussion between the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires and the leading Jewish leader of his country. Monsignor Bergoglio is sincere and willing to talk about any issues related to national and worldwide religious matters