The Way of Heaven and Earth: From Either/Or to the Catholic Both/And

by Matthew Becklo

A crisis of polarization more and more threatens the future of civilization. Whether it’s philosophy, theology, politics, or culture, we find ourselves falling into stark either/or dilemmas: Religion or science? Conservative or liberal? Faith or works? We can’t help but choose one idea at the expense of the other, falling into zero-sum games, mutual extremes, and the endless division of human life.

In The Way of Heaven and Earth, Matthew Becklo offers a way of interpreting this crisis: Christ and “the Catholic both/and.” Framing our greatest dilemmas as “heaven-earth dilemmas”—choices between God or man, God’s place or man’s place, the spiritual or the physical, or the spirit or the flesh—Becklo shows that our greatest hope for overcoming our divisions is in Christ, who is “the Way of heaven and earth,” and the Catholic Church, which is the fullness of the Way.

With the help of Scripture, Catholic teaching, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and various philosophers, theologians, and artists, The Way of Heaven and Earth finds new hope in this forgotten Way, which calls us into the paradoxes of the human journey.

360 pages, Paperback

Published February 10, 2025

Reviews

[Collin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to purchase The Way of Heaven and Earth because I was intrigued by Becklo’s proposition that the world suffers from an “either/or” mindset, and the solution is the Catholic “both/and”. Becklo does a fantastic job expanding on this premise and defending the conclusion that “The Way” is a uniquely Catholic philosophy which has been proven throughout the centuries.

Layout of the book:
The book is divided into four sections. The first is an introduction which sets the stage of the dilemma. Becklo paints an accurate picture of the current state of affairs–one dominated by division and crisis. According to Becklo, the heart of this crisis is a “heavenward” worldview pitted against an “earthward” worldview. Throughout the course of the book, we discover that this dilemma is not a new phenomenon, rather, this “either/or” battle has been a constant part of human history. Furthermore, Becklo assures us that when these two apparent opposites battle–we all lose.
The second section is called “The Dilemmas of Life” and it delves into the core dilemma in greater depth. This section is somewhat superfluous to the introduction, but the importance of these core questions justifies the redundancy. Becklo displays the world divided: heaven or earth? God or man? Physical or spiritual? Where does meaning lie? The answers to these questions is not a dismissal of either end of the spectrum; rather, the solution involves both sides like a painting with two vibrant color palettes versus the dull monochrome of either/or. A fuller picture emerges.
The third section is a collection of philosophical issues, ranging from ancient issues to modern problems. This section is not-surprisingly labelled “The Dilemmas of Philosophy,” and it was excellent. Becklo covers a lot of ground in this section and flexes a strong conversance with a variety of topics including: essentialism, existentialism, metaphysics, phenomenology, among others.
The fourth section concerns the dilemmas peculiar to Christianity, such as faith versus reason, faith versus works, elect versus everyone, and many more.

Things that I liked:
The format of each chapter is simple and efficient–Becklo names the dilemma, offers the heavenward side and its merits and criticisms, then he offers the earthward side and its merits and criticisms, and finally he offers the Catholic “both/and” solution. Becklo’s prose needs to be applauded. He conveys information with special attention to how each sentence sounds and how it fits together with the rest of the book. I feel confident referring to his clever wordsmithing and whimsical ideas as Chesterton-esq in nature and content. Becklo is a modern G. K., and the literary likeness is most welcome. It is obvious that Becklo’s writing style flows from his love of literature in general–he has quotes in this book from Shakespeare, Plato, Cormac McCarthy, G.K. Chesterton, Flannery O’Connor, Robert Frost, Neitzche, T.S. Eliot, Augustine, Aquinas, C.S. Lewis, and countless others. The result is enjoyable. These aren’t just Becklo’s words or ideas–this book is a conglomeration of theologians, philosophers, authors, playwrights, and poets and the dilemmas they’ve faced, spanning millennia, and Becklo deserves a lot of credit for pulling it all together so nicely.

Who is this book for?
This book is definitely for the Chesterton lover. This book is also for any Catholic–Becklo does an incredible job explaining complex philosophical ideas. This book is for the non-Catholic or fallen-away Catholic who is interested in why Catholicism has lasted for 2000+ years. What is it that makes Catholicism so special? Find out how many perilous paths it avoided, and how many dilemmas it overcame. Finally this book is for anyone with unanswered existential questions–which is all of us, isn’t it? Anyone who has ever wondered where to find the meaning of life should consider reading this book.

Criticism and content that would benefit from further elucidation:
In general, Becklo does a great job of presenting dilemmas stretching across the history of philosophy, although he favors ancient examples of ideas and ideologies. This is both a strength and a weakness. For instance: the benefit of detailing Democritus when discussing materialism is that it clearly demonstrates how far back in history some ideas go–nothing is new under the sun, after all. Becklo shows how the Church responded to ideas and heresy when the ideas and heresies first appeared. The issue with an over-emphasis on the ancient form of an idea is that it is sometimes conflated with the weaker form of an idea. The example of materialism showcases this best–there have obviously been great discoveries in the science of atoms and subatomic particles since Democritus first named the atom. Now, I’m not suggesting that Becklo was strawmanning materialism, or any of the other ‘isms’ when he discusses the ancient form of them, but I do wish that Becklo had spent some more time discussing the recent advancements regarding some of the theories that he mentions. Perhaps this would be material for a sequel? I hope Becklo will consider it.

Overall, The Way of Heaven and Earth is an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it. This book will sit on my shelf next to Chesterton and Lewis.

[Natalie Hanemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author’s concise writing style helps simplify some of the scholarly concepts and makes deep philosophical and theological concepts understandable for the reader. While this book may not be for the Catholic reader looking for a simplified presentation of the faith, it is well worth investing the time to understand, even peripherally, these concepts because the overall message is a practical one we can begin to apply right away in our daily lives.
This book equips readers with substantial examples and plenty of Church history that show the benefit of the both/and perspective when faced with a polarizing decision between two oversimplified extremes. There is a way to approach a dilemma—whether it’s the latest news story, scandal, or disagreement with a member of another faith community—that doesn’t vilify or alienate someone with a differing view than our own. An exceptional read.

[Peggy Haslar · Rating 5 out of 5]

While division has always marked the human experience, "the speed, frequency and intensity with which we can now share ideas has brought us to a crisis of polarization - one that more and more threatens the future of civilization." The Way of Heaven and Earth is a refreshing alternative to the various ideologies (whether religious or secular) which humans seeking meaning over the centuries have made their refuge. It is both a readable introduction to the history of philosophy and a winsome summary of the Catholic "both/and," the Christian "Way." Becklo's style is both serious and funny, philosophical and artsy, spiritual and heady.

Weary of left/right, science/religion, ascetic/epicurean, faith/reason, either/or binaries? The Way of Heaven and Earth reveals the road to recovery. My brain feels better already. My heart does, too.