Understanding Pope Francis

"Blaney and his assembled authors provide an adroit, incisive and insightful analysis of the myriad dimensions of Pope Francis and his evangelical message for the Catholic Church. From his social media presence to his social policy commentary, this book eloquently adds to our understanding of religious rhetoric and the importance of message fidelity and ecumenical messaging in promoting the faith to believers and nonbelievers alike. This belongs on the shelf for all scholars of religious studies."

-- Joseph M. Valenzano III, University of Dayton

“Though some media may have framed Pope Francis simply as a liberal reformer, a closer look at his rhetoric reveals unexpected complexity and nuance. Blaney has captured this nuance by assembling scholars who approach the Pope’s communication from a diverse, yet cohesive, set of perspectives. Contributors analyze the rhetorical tensions in Pope Francis’ discourse, discuss his embrace of contemporary issues, unpack his representations in the media, and illustrate the ways in which he uses social media to develop a brand and respond to crisis. One of the real strengths of the book is that contributors bring an unusual variety of backgrounds and methodologies to the study of Pope Francis’ discourse. Scholars of rhetoric, religion, politics, leadership, and related fields will find rich analysis. For me, this is a book I will return to.”

-- LeAnn Brazeal, Missouri State University

“Joseph Blaney has assembled a valuable body of scholarly essays opening new conversations about the transformative leader of one of our oldest and most consequential institutions. Rather than view Pope Francis through the secular prism favored by contemporary media, the authors endeavor to unfold his rhetoric and thereby explore the moral themes of his papacy. The light they shine brilliantly reflects hitherto unseen facets of this most remarkable religious leader.”

-- Matthew M. Reavy, University of Scra