A blend of travel writing and spiritual memoir, A Pilgrimage to Eternity chronicles the journey of Tim Egan along the Via Francigena. Egan's physical journey through Christianity also represents a spiritual journey for the author, as he searches for something to replace his lost faith. It's an inner trip that in many ways may be familiar to those grappling with current crises in the Catholic Church and in the world, yet is also thought-provoking in a manner that can help the reader draw their own conclusions and resolutions to spiritual questions. This book satisfies both the urge of the armchair traveler, with its historical focus on ancient sites along the way, and the hunger and need of the individual searching for answers about what to hold on to in today's world. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital review copy; this is my honest opinion.

The best book to read as 2019 turned into 2020. Filled with everything I like: travel, history, religion, philosophy but most of all unanswerable questions. On a pilgrimage across Europe to Rome, author Timothy Egan examines his believes as a Catholic and raises so many questions such as why most of Christian beliefs is based on, not the words of Christ, but of men who wrote about Christ. Does Christianity reflect Christ or those who followed him. I made the mistake of reading this book on a Kindle. I should have used a regular book. There were so many notes I wanted to make in the margins and questions I had in the reading. This would be a worthy book to use in a thought-provoking church group or in a serious book discussion group. It’s one of Egan’ best books.

This is an excellent read from a veteran author. This could have been another religious travel memoir, of which there are many, except for Egan's marvelously irreverent and thoughtful religious and socio-political commentary raising it a notch above most in this genre. Egan takes the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome, to ask the difficult questions in life: Is there a God? Is there a God who cares? What about human suffering? What about the abuses in the Catholic Church? Egan is a life-long lapsed Irish Catholic, and his prose does not shy away from these difficult questions. I thoroughly enjoyed this immersive read, both as a history and theology buff but also as a commentary on current religious climate in Europe. This is a must read for fans of Egan, atheists and non-atheists alike.

“A Pilgrimage to Eternity” has the core essentials for great travel writing - a journey through a region or well-worn trail unfamiliar to most of the intended reader audience, with every stop on the way bringing a wealth of information and insight on every waypoint’s particular history and present condition. 

However, although his trip’s focus is supposed to be a deep look into Christianity past, present and possible future, what potentially makes Tim Egan’s trek a particularly memorable one to follow along on is the author’s inner spiritual debate that lies at the core of it all. 

Raised in the Catholic tradition, Egan travels as a pilgrim searching for some sense of spirituality. But in his quest to find something more for his long-lapsed faith life, he acutely feels the full weight of a church history loaded to the brim with adherents behaving anything but Christ-like in near-countless horrific ways, along with the inevitable scarring from the seemingly never-ending sexual abuse scandals. Not only that, but he must also contend with his healthy modern-day skepticism that clashes with many a theological stance or miraculous claim. His situation is both uniquely his own, but also one that should feel more than familiar to many a few who find themselves long-lapsed in their own particular religious upbringing for any number of reasons. And while those feeling similar internal spiritual struggles, of course, may not agree with Egan’s own insights and conclusions, his own journey provides plenty of moments that could help a reader to start mulling over matters of faith and their own personal spirituality that may have been ignored for quite some time. Granted, I speak with the admitted bias of someone whose religious and educational background and current spiritual condition matches with Egan’s to an almost startling degree. However, I nevertheless like to think that if I was sparked into performing some self-reflection, then it’s not a far stretch to imagine that others may have similar encounters. 

Even if Egan's journey sparks no personal insight, or if a reader is perfectly comfortable with their own religious or nonreligious personal context, there is still plenty for “A Pilgrimage to Eternity” to offer. Egan’s writing makes the Via Francigena come so alive that he’ll do far more than merely inform about both it and what it has to tell about Christianity. He’ll quickly transport one to right alongside him on the trail, where one can go on a vivid journey through numerous centuries-old towns and cities all without even having to buy a new pair of hiking boots. 

This is a book that is definitely worth one’s time and attention. There’s a grand trek through a history-rich pilgrimage trail through the heart of Europe awaiting, with the strong chance that at least some readers will find themselves unexpectedly sent off as wandering pilgrims upon their own inner journey.