Medieval Christianity: St. Francis of Assisi

"Francis of Assisi: Early Documents" provides new and updated resources to help forge the human Francis from the struggles of his time and from our misunderstandings about his call and charism. The scholarly presentation of the writings and primitive biographies in this volume focus on the earliest writings about Francis as "The Saint", unveiling the person of Francis and his first followers in their medieval context.In this volume we are given a new song of Francis for our time.

Arnaldo Fortini's "Nova Vita di San Francesco" is in a class by itself in the enormous field of Franciscan literature.It is the first biography to provide a detailed reconstruction of life in Assisi during Francis's lifetime.Thirty-five years in preparation,the work is based on many documents and records that were first discovered in the Assisi archives by the author himself.Hailed as "the leading authority on the history of Assisi",Arnaldo Fortini, a distinguished lawyer,was mayor of Assisi for twenty years,and for fifty years was at the center of activity in Assisi from its physical restoration and cultural revival to its unique position as a place of pilgrimage and as a center for Franciscan studies.The biography itself-which first appeared in 1926,was expanded and revised in 1959,and has been translated into French and Japanese-has long been regarded as indispensable by Franciscan scholars and biographers.No serious biography written since has failed to make extensive reference to it,and some older biographies have been revised in its light.It takes us back to the medieval world with such realism and detail that we, too,become a part of it.It shows us Francis in his setting,responding to the events of his time,rather than as a lonely figure in a field of flowers or on the edge of a birdbath.It proves to what extent Assisi-its legends ,customs,people,and social institutions-shaped his thoughts as he grew and how much Assisi made Saint Francis,as today Saint Francis makes Assisi known all over the world.

Dante hailed him as "the sun that had risen in Assisi". In our own century, G.K. Chesterton described him as "a splendid and yet a merciful Mirror of Christ". Such have been the accolades heaped upon the poor and humble Francis. And yet none conveyed the radical quality of St.Francis life and teaching so forcefully as the title of this fresh and engaging biography by the noted, and controversial,Austrian theologian Adolf Holl. St. Francis is "the last Christian" because he sought to live out in the most literal manner the imitation of Christ as described in the Gospels. So unsettling - indeed, revolutionary - did this prove in a world just awakening to the allure of capitalism and commerce that the original that the original Franciscan ideal was already under attack by the Church and his own order during Francis' lifetime. Indeed, within a century of his death, Franciscan friars were being burned at the stake for preaching radical Franciscan poverty.

In "Tales of St.Francis you will meet the medieval friar who touches modern hearts. The life of St. Francis is a continuing inspiration to others on how to live. His joy and spirit are indeed brought vividly back to life in these pages. A good story is the most effective medium for teaching eternal truths. And Murray Bodo has specially selected and translated dozens of favorites for this collection. Drawn from a variety of sources and legends, each tale is accompanied by a specific lesson for contemporary living, a truth to help all of us who are faced with the demands of a materialistic world. The examples of Francis's love and courage strengthen us to face our own difficulties and fears and learn to trust again.

Within two years after his mentor's death, Thomas of Celano composed 'The Life of Saint Francis of Assisi", a portrait of the newly canonized Umbrian. Less than twenty years later, in "The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul", Thomas conveyed the wonder and uniqueness of the saint's life and vision with poetic power. Hardly had this work become known when Thomas composed a comprehensive,orderly view of extraordinary events in Francis's life, "The Treatise on the Miracles". The three classics works appear here for the first time in one volume.

It has been said that G.K.Chesterton converted to Catholicism in 1922 because "only the Roman Church could have produced a Saint Francis of Assisi". Published shortly after his conversion, "Saint Francis of Assisi" certainly affirms Chesterton's preternatural appreciation of the great saint and his teachings. With delightful informality, Chesterton depicts a man who loved women but vowed himself to chastity; an artist who loved the pleasures of the world but renounced them to embrace the most austere poverty. Enlightening and entertaining, this book captures Saint Francis in all his eccentricities and contradictions and yet reveals the very essence of his intellectual and spiritual grounding in the Church.

He has inspired countless films,paintings,poems and novels. But who was Francesco Bernadone, now known as Saint Francis of Assisi? Despite the wealth of writings on the life of this great saint, many still don't know the man. They know the legend: a Francis made palatable to modern sensibilities - the happy friar who carols to the birds and writes poems to the sun and the moon. This is the image of the saint that is usually presented, even though it fails to encompass the true personality of Francis. Ivan Gobry, Ph.D., takes on the task of revealing the real man, the man who abandoned wealth and chose to live a beggar's life. Saint Fancis lived a life that was full of danger and adventure, ministering to lepers and even traveling to Egypt in an attempt to convert the Muslims. Disciples flocked to him, drawn by the radical challenge of living the Gospel in a world that had become attracted to decadence. Francis rejoiced in nature and animals, but also fought spiritual battles against temptation and vice. Dr. Gobry restores a profoundly human dimension to the Little Poor Man of Assisi : a far cry from the image that has become conventional.

In 1228, Pope Gregory IX rushed to canonize St. Francis only two years after his death. Soon there after, the Church eliminated significant aspects of his biography from the public record. For Francis' early life was defined by his profligacy: shortly before dying, Francis himself warned his brothers: "Don't be too quick to canonize me. I am perfectly capable of fathering a child." In "A Mended and Broken Heart", religion scholar Wendy Murray slices through the bowdlerized version of Francis' life promoted within the Catholic tradition and reveals instead a saint who was in every way a real man. Murray stresses in particular the crucial but completely neglected role that Clare of Assisi played in Francis' life and theology, both before and after his conversion. A profoundly humane portrait of a misunderstood saint. "A Mended and Broken Heart makes a powerful case that St. Francis life and thought make him a role model for religious seekers of every faith.

Francis of Assisi (1181/82-1226) was one of the most vibrant and colourful personalities in the Middle Ages. The life of this remarkable reformer of the medieval Church was celebrated in art, drama, poetry, music, the new vernacular literature and architecture. His ideal was to enter into a restorative and enriching relationship with Jesus Christ, whom he wished to imitate in the most perfect manner, a direct and immediate goal which captured the contemporary imagination. This Companion explores the life of Francis of Assisi and his enduring legacy throughout the centuries. The first part concentrates on his life and works whilst the second explores the way in which his heritage influenced the apostolic activities of his followers in the century following his death. This book is a must-read for students and scholars of Church history, as well as medieval social and intellectual history.

Saint Francis : nature mystic -- Traditions that influenced Saint Francis -- Saint Francis and the birds -- Saint Francis and the animals of household and farm -- The "small deer" of Saint Francis -- Fish, "reptiles," and dragon -- The furred beasts of Saint Francis -- The canticle of brother sun

Father van Corstanje is known for his penetrating insight into the life and spirit of St. Francis. His "Covenant with God's Poor' was the beginning of a spiritual renewal in many Franciscan communities; his "Third Order in Our Times" gave a new dimension to the renewal of the Layman's Order in the post Vatican II world. In this book Father van Corstanje takes the biblical themes by which Francis "became Gospel" in the Gospel of poverty that shaped his soul and sent him gospelizing those whose poorness of spirit made fertile the soul's ground for the spirit of St. Francis. Just as the word of Jesus Christ was revealed in Francis, the author reveals to us the life and word of the Poverello in this work.

"The Saint and the Sultan" captures the lives of Francis and al-Kamil and illuminates the political intrigue and religious fervor of their time.In the process,it reveals a startingly timely story of interfaith conflict,war, and the search for peace.More than simply a dramatic adventure-though it does not lack for colorful saints and sinners,episodes of loyalty and betrayal,and thrilling Crusade narrative-"The Saint and the Sultan" is an exciting work of investigative history and one with deep significance for all who seek to find peace between the West and the Islamic world.

In this study,Dr.Hoeberichts goes back to Francis' Earlier Rule,the Regula non bullata of 1221, and especially to chapter 16, the "mission chapter",in order to determine the attitude of Francis toward Muslims and Islam.In a radical rereading of this chapter of the rule,Hoeberichts argues that for Francis,the idea of living among the Saracens and being subject to them implied a greater respect for and deference to the faith of other belivers than was current in the Church at the time of the crusades or,for that matter,is today.Firmly rooted in historical scholarship,Hoeberichts' book recreates the milieu of Fancis and his first brothers and brings new insights to contemporary issues of interreligious dialogue.

Whether or not Bonaventure's interpretation of Francis person is a legitimate development of Francis ideal or a politicizing distortion can be concluded only by painstaking study.Eric Doyle's "The Disciple and the Master" is one such study.Aiming to offer an acceptable and readable English version of Bonaventure's profoundly inspiring Sermons on St.Francis,the author communicates the admiration of a devout and learned disciple for his singularly blessed Master.Since Bonaventure's view of the person of Francis has been a major influence in shaping the Order's subsequent identity,we are fortunate to have Fr.Eric's admirable work at hand.