Enjoy fast, FREE delivery, exclusive deals and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Thursday, June 22 on orders shipped by Amazon over $25

Or fastest delivery Wednesday, June 21. Order within 21 hrs 48 mins

Select delivery location

In Stock

[{"displayPrice":"$24.00","priceAmount":24.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"24","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"fgITDaSXUQHtGZNwkngQMvm5B53V3jvUE%2BLCZbdaKfq8tuKNMEh%2FOICjawgkcwU7uOPcZEJ9TD1v2Nv8Z2ddXkpoxf4PP3ERNKT1uFZFscJwzQMzEoVHcRK%2B%2FXa1rH3hbVCgdcvLZ1ihfgZ7WBMvfg%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0},{"displayPrice":"$18.70","priceAmount":18.70,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"18","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"70","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"fgITDaSXUQHtGZNwkngQMvm5B53V3jvUezHG0sBBxFPaqH202d9%2Bp1vB4FqUjfrazryUUSgVM1ASQ3EGCnhriY0XWRq0lanlp4G7tIVAfT7OI8GxSw6Mc2l1nMKb1hVxGKN7fqWVvY%2BDE1WF8a1F3EFQmvLkzpHR1MffGu2MOTGjLL6Pi%2FXlahkgUIVpmPaN","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]

$$24.00 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Payment

Secure transaction

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Details

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Thursday, June 22 on orders shipped by Amazon over $25

Or fastest delivery Wednesday, June 21. Order within 21 hrs 48 mins

Select delivery location

Used: Good | Details

Sold by H&H Federation

Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Other Sellers on Amazon

Added

Not added

$22.71
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: MyPrepbooks

Added

Not added

$24.42
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: Publisher Direct

Added

Not added

$20.64
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: Anderson Family Library

Flip to back Flip to front

See all 2 images

Follow the Author

Christopher Lamb

The Outsider: Pope Francis and His Battle to Reform the Church Paperback – January 1, 2020

by Christopher Lamb (Author)

4.6 176 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$9.99

—

Paperback

"Please retry"

$24.00

$17.44

$12.00

Kindle
$9.99 Read with Our Free App
Paperback
$24.00

Other new and used from $12.00

26 Used from $12.00

25 New from $17.44

Purchase options and add-ons

From a Vatican correspondent for The Tablet (London), an overview of the ministry and agenda of Pope Francis, an examination of the opposition that has mobilized against him, and what this means and portends for the Catholic Church.

Print length

208 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Orbis
Publication date

January 1, 2020
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.47 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

1626983615
ISBN-13

978-1626983618
See all details

Bought Together

Frequently bought together

The Outsider: Pope Francis and His Battle to Reform the Church

$24.00

Get it as soon as Thursday, Jun 22

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave That Changed History

$12.66

Get it as soon as Thursday, Jun 22

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

Wounded Shepherd: Pope Francis and His Struggle to Convert the Catholic Church

$14.48

Get it as soon as Friday, Jun 23

Only 2 left in stock - order soon.

Sold by Bridge_Media and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Try again!

Details

Added to Cart

Some of these items ship sooner than the others.

Show details Hide details

Choose items to buy together.

Elisabetta Piqué
273
Paperback
42 offers from $2.25

Special offers and product promotions

90 days FREE of Amazon Music Unlimited. Offer included with purchase. Only for new subscribers who have not received offer in last 90 days. Renews automatically. You will receive an email to redeem. Terms apply. Offered by Amazon.com. Here's how (restrictions apply)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christopher Lamb is the Rome Correspondent for The Tablet, the British Catholic publication, and a regular contributor to the BBC and La Stampa's "Vatican Insider." He has lived in Rome for the past four years, covering Pope Francis and the Vatican.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orbis (January 1, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1626983615
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1626983618
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.47 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #672,233 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #430 in Christian Popes
- #3,346 in Religious Leader Biographies
- #16,699 in World History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 176 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Christopher Lamb

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

176 global ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

How customer reviews and ratings work

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

John C. Becker

greater insight and detail

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 15, 2023

Verified Purchase

I have an interest in understanding the nature of opposition to Pope Francis and his vision. This book provided more detail and insight than I previously had. I now face the task of understanding the competing positions and interests discussed in the book. As a later in life Catholic who remembers pre-Vatican II and has lived most of my life applying it in my life, this information will help me identify friends and foes alike. Then my choices will be made.

Helpful

Joseph Boenzi

The difficult but hope-inciting pontificate of Pope Francis

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 9, 2022

Verified Purchase

Author CHARLES LAMB is the Rome correspondent for "The Guardian". In this volume he chronicles the pontificate of Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio, elected pope on 13 March 2011) through a series of roadblocks, accusations, and attacks mounted by opposition within the Catholic Church and particularly among the hierarchy against this first Bishop of Rome to come from the southern Hemisphere.

Actually, Francis is first in a number of ways which make his leadership style disconcerting to those who have locked themselves into what they had expected to be protected positions within the Catholic Church. He is the first native Argentinian and therefore South American to become pope. He is the first Jesuit to be elected to the See of Peter and the first religious chosen since the very conservative Camaldolese priest Bartolomeo Cappellari was elected as Gregory XVI in 1831. Cappellari was a monk, and very predictable, Bergoglio served in the periphery of Buenas Aires and very pastoral. But add to that that Bergoglio is the first son of poor immigrants to be chosen as pope since the 4th century, and used to being on the outside of the dominant culture (something that few commentators even notice, much less mention), and it is no wonder that power bids do not impress him (my comment, not Charles Lamb's). For many reasons, the title "The Outsider" is well chosen.

This book fascinated me at every turn of the page. Many popes have been scorned by those outside the Catholic Church, but Francis has been derided, sabotages, upbraided and attacked by those inside the Curia, the college of Cardinals, the American Bishops' Conference, the American Catholic networks and even seminarians. OMG, really? Charles Lamb documents the attacks, but in doing so, unmasks the many power plays by those who oppose this pope. He has also shown the Francis' supporters are the poor, the humble, the hard-working, the salt-of-the-earth laity and religious close to the people most in need.

This little volume is outstanding. I've marked up my copy and will read it again. I also intend to use it as recommended readings in graduate courses that I teach at the Institute of Salesian Studies and the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology. I can't recommend it enough!

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Victor Gaetan

Honest, insightful guide to the fear and loathing directed against Pope Francis

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 15, 2020

Verified Purchase

Christopher Lamb's exceptional book "The Outsider" is an essential text for understanding Pope Francis' pontificate. Ideally, it should be read with Gerard O'Connor's "The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave," both published by Orbis Books.

Together, the two books help explain, first, why cardinals selected by Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI elected Jorge Bergoglio. They knew exactly what they were doing, contrary to myths about plots or ignorance. Lamb's highly readable narrative then goes further to decode why elite American Catholics have rebelled against the Argentinian.

Lamb and O'Connor are honest, ethical journalists. Their books are a fine antidote especially for Catholics overexposed to the relentless drumbeat of anti-Francis negativity flowing mainly from North American sources.

It is hard not to conclude Christopher Lamb’s excellent account of the relentless internal opposition faced by Pope Francis and not wonder, is there a “hidden hand” here? Because Lamb is the opposite of a conspiracy theorist. Rather, he is a sincere, talented Catholic journalist with a great eye and a deft pen, determined to remind readers that Francis’s efforts are about restoring the Gospel ground to all Church action.

Segments of the book are lovingly divided by Bible passages. Long passages are dedicated to explaining the theology and experience that underpin Francis’s decisions. Yet, as the Brit capably catalogues wave after wave of picky ploys and obsessive preoccupations dogging Francis (often tied to the cushiest quarters of Catholic Christendom), it eats at this reader, what fuels such ostentatious faux rage?

Lamb and O'Connor bring light to this subject, highlighting Pope Francis’ enthusiastic election by his peers and contrasting with the excessive, disingenuous coverage of his pontificate.

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dan Kelly

God bless the Pope

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 4, 2021

Verified Purchase

I don’t know of any story relating to a Poe in history who faces such a cabal of clerics piled against him. It seems the Magisterium only applies to a Pope fitting THEIR ideas of how the church is run and not that of the Holy Spirit! He not only has them to deal with but his predecessor sits grimly in his garden. Despite the fact he leads with the gospel message, his opponents lead with parasitical laws cheered on by Steve Bannon of all people and philosophy, Ya can’t make this stuff up and Mr Lamb has told the story well. Francis is the reincarnation of John III. May he continue and guide us to HIS successor despite those howling and nipping at his heels.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Tough as Nails

Something all Catholics should read. It is an overview of Pope Francis ' understanding of the Gospel and his role as Shepherd.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 7, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is a long journalistic essay. It is not theology . It is an informed view of the priorities of Pipe Francis informed by the Gospel and inspired by Vatican II it gives good chronology and identifies those who oppose him within the hierarchy of the church and how they are emboldened by the wealthy institutes and individuals and the nationalistic forces that give them coherence it will be a good popular contemporary record. It is meant for a general audience

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

William F. Coffey

Pope Francis and the future of the church

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 5, 2020

Verified Purchase

A wonderful book about Pope Francis and the forces in the West who object where the church is going. In particular Francis is trying to live and complete Vatican II. Opposing forces would like to go back to pre Vatican II.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

K. Pettinger

A clear explanation of the powerful money fighting for control of the Catholic Church

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 21, 2020

Verified Purchase

As an American Catholic woman I keep hearing how the church is moving back towards traditionalism. I have been at a loss to understand why. This well written book draws together all the various personalities driving this agenda. An eye opener.

15 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

The Outsider who understands the Insiders

Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on April 29, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is an excellent summary and analysis of the papacy of Francis - or rather, the intense, open and hostile opposition to the papacy by a collection of insiders united in a ‘fusion of neo-traditionalist theology and nationalist, populist politics’. Lamb does a great job in cataloguing the key events and persons who lead the charge against reform. Ironically, Lamb is himself an ‘insider’ (Vatican correspondent) and in Chapter 6 confirms Francis is a ‘seasoned campaigner’ who knows only too well his opponent’s playbook. Lamb clarifies ‘the outsider’ ascription by indicating Francis has sided with the marginalised, those outside the power structures. If you read this book with an open mind, and you are prepared to be challenged, then you will find this a compelling account of the status of the Church, and more especially, the course She will take in the 21st century.

Malachi O'C

Good, balanced and objective commentary on the pontificate of Pope Francis.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 19, 2020

Verified Purchase

Engaging read and well-written. Presents a scandalously overwhelming barrage of opposition to this Pope but provides some much needed context and background investigation that uncovers the perennial human brokenness in his accusers with the temptations to hold onto power, prestige and money.

11 people found this helpful

Angusian

Loyal insight into the Papal court

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 3, 2020

Verified Purchase

At a time when coverage of the current Pope tends to favour the extreme opposition to his vision and ministry, Christopher Lamb's well-written investigation brings clarity, charity and a balanced loyalty to the story of a man most thinking Christians regard as a wise and sensitive innovator. Without being hagiography, 'Outsider' presents the pronouncements and actions within a context of ecclesiastical movement, a redirection of the papacy which threatens the entrenched privilege of a hierarchy which over the past decades has revealed itself as corrupt, self interested and often careless of the care of souls to which they were ordained.

4 people found this helpful

Bruno

Brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is a very well written account of the struggles of Francis' Pontificate. It gives some very saddening insights into the struggles this Holy man has had to put up with during his time as Pope. At times some of the goings on by others inside (and outside) the Vatican seem more akin to the Papacy of the Renaisance period. I do hope that he manages to get some of his reforms through before he goes to his eternal reward.
A very engaging and interesting read.

4 people found this helpful

Samson

A fascinating insight into the politics of the Vatican

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book despite not being a close follower of Catholic affairs. The book reminds me of Hercule Poirot's comment 'the sheer pity of the situation' after he has uncovered the duplicity of the murderer. it seems that Chris Lamb gives indications of the raw animal cunning of the Pope's many powerful enemies in trying to displace him. The book also refers to the rich and powerful Catholics who seek to influence the Pope into justifying Trump's horrendous and completely unchristian philosophy of racism,elitism and lies. This Pope Francis categorically refuses to do much to his credit.
I think reading through the issues the church has to deal with according to the book I feel the Catholic church's problem stem from a completely unpragmatic approach to sexuality. Celibacy is only possible in a minority of people and those that are forced into it often can't handle the repression. Similarly the use of condoms and abortion are unfortunate necessities of life because in some cases they are the lesser of two evils. The Catholic church can continue to bury its head in the sand on this issue and continue to make people feel guilty about their urges but people will keep on leaving or simply pay lip service to doctrine.

3 people found this helpful

See all reviews

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	Amazon Advertising Find, attract, and engage customers	6pm Score deals on fashion brands	AbeBooks Books, art & collectibles	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy	Sell on Amazon Start a Selling Account

Amazon Business Everything For Your Business	Amazon Fresh Groceries & More Right To Your Door	AmazonGlobal Ship Orders Internationally	Home Services Experienced Pros Happiness Guarantee	Amazon Ignite Sell your original Digital Educational Resources	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services

Audible Listen to Books & Original Audio Performances	Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	Box Office Mojo Find Movie Box Office Data	ComiXology Thousands of Digital Comics	DPReview Digital Photography	Fabric Sewing, Quilting & Knitting

Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities	IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need	Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing Made Easy	Amazon Photos Unlimited Photo Storage Free With Prime	Prime Video Direct Video Distribution Made Easy

Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands	Amazon Warehouse Great Deals on Quality Used Products	Whole Foods Market America’s Healthiest Grocery Store	Woot! Deals and Shenanigans	Zappos Shoes & Clothing	Ring Smart Home Security Systems

eero WiFi Stream 4K Video in Every Room	Blink Smart Security for Every Home	Neighbors App Real-Time Crime & Safety Alerts	Amazon Subscription Boxes Top subscription boxes – right to your door	PillPack Pharmacy Simplified	Amazon Renewed Like-new products you can trust

Amazon Prime includes:

Buy new: $24.00$24.00 FREE delivery: Thursday, June 22 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com

Buy used: $18.70

Other Sellers on Amazon

Follow the Author

The Outsider: Pope Francis and His Battle to Reform the Church Paperback – January 1, 2020

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Special offers and product promotions

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

Christopher Lamb

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries

Buy new:

$24.00

FREE delivery: Thursday, June 22 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon.

Ships from: Amazon.com

Sold by: Amazon.com

Buy used:

$18.70