Wide Open Space

I have recently finished Ian Morgan Cron's exploration of the life and legacy of Saint Francis 'Chasing Francis'. Part personal journal, part theological essay, the book in essence offers Francis as the ideal spiritual guide for the turbulent waters of a post-evangelical, postmodern faith. It fits comfortably into the space opened up by Robert Webber's 'Ancient-Future Faith', Brian McLaren's 'Generous Orthodoxy' and Andy Freeman's 'Punk Monk', all of which suggest a similar plundering of pre-reformation spiritualities to fund a post-Christendom journey. What sets 'Chasing Francis' apart is Cron's decision to explore Francis through fiction. The meltdown and recovery of the conservative pastor at the story's heart - the frighteningly named Chase Falson - provides a very personal lens through which to explore the Franciscan commitments to spiritual growth, reconciliation and serving the poor. This personal dimension adds power to the narrative: though it's appeal may be limited to those readers familiar with the constraints of evangelical conservatism. For such readers, the sense of Falcon's liberation is tangible. Here is a man walking out of the very small room his faith has confined him to and discovering that beyond its walls there is a beautiful and expansive garden to explore. The boundaries of orthodoxy, it seems, are broader, kinder and more elastic than ever the boundaries of 'right doctrine' have been. The journey from the narrow straights of dogma to the wide open spaces of grace is one many evangelical believers will take in the coming decades, and Cron has blazed a trail well worth noting.