Introduction

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013 and took the name Francis. The theological positions held by Pope Francis, with political implications for the church and the wider society, can be understood as political theology. Political theology is a useful tool to understand the first Latin American pope in the Catholic church and contribute to the writing of the history of Pope Francis’ pontificate. Taking the state of research of the current pontificate into account, it is time that scholars move beyond the laudatory tone and heroic portrayals of the figure of Pope Francis. To gain a deeper historical understanding of the “the Francis effect” on church and society, we need to critically analyse how the pope has constructed his political theology through interpretations of the Bible, the Catholic tradition, and human experiences.