St. Francis of Assisi and Religionless Faith

When I take students to Italy to walk in the footsteps of St. Francis, I have to confront their skepticism. St. Francis was part of a medieval world and social imaginary. Yet, most of my students, though Christian, experience the world differently. How does St. Francis fit with what Bonhoeffer calls a “world come of age”? What is the meaning of pilgrimage for young people shaped by the immanent frame? This episode explores these questions from the ancient Italian town of Gubbio.