Francis of Assisi: The Life

by Augustine Thompson

Overview

This elegant and accessible biography of one of Catholicism's most beloved saints was originally published as Part 1 of Francis of Assisi: A New Biography by Augustine Thompson, O.P. It stands alone as a richly informed portrait of a man whose complex faith and commitment continue to inspire today. An introduction by Thompson places his biography in the context of continuing discussions about Francis's legacy, particularly the new Pope's decision to adopt the saint's name.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801479069
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	09/15/2013
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	952,768
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Augustine Thompson, O.P., is Professor of History at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California. His most recent book is Cities of God: The Religion of the Italian Communes, 1125–1325.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

1. "When I Was in My Sins," 1181–1205

2. The Penitent from Assisi, 1206–1209

3. The Primitive Fraternity, 1209–1215

4. Expansion and Consolidation, 1216–1220

5. Francis Returns Home, 1220–1221

6. Rules and Retirement, 1221–1223

7. The Way of the Cross, 1223–1225

8. From Penitent to Saint, 1225–1226

For Further Reading

What People are Saying About This

Paul Moses

I recommend this book strongly to anyone serious about understanding Francis of Assisi. I admire the clarity and brevity of the writing. With decisiveness, Thompson cuts through the conflicting medieval accounts of each event in Francis' life, adjusts for the hagiographers' spin and creates a credible chronology out of the blurry dates. His knowledge of medieval Italy allows him to provide insightful explanations of the legal, liturgical, and ecclesiastical practices of the time.

Carlos Eire

The stripped-down, bare-bones historical Francis of this biography is at once immensely likeable and deeply disturbing. He is appealing insofar as Thompson makes him seem much more like an ordinary man who accomplished extraordinary things rather than a heaven-sent, self-assured prophet. His befuddlement, his inner turmoil, his inability to control events make him seem not just very human but also much like nearly anyone who is likely to pick up this book.

Editorial Reviews

It's a book that rescues the human being from hagiography, and that is, in fact, two biographies: one a purely historical one, based on contemporary accounts; and the second a review of the enormous literature of legend and spin that his Order bestowed upon him. The Francis in this book is terrifying and self-destructive, visionary, and tormented. And the way he was subsequently used—in legend and parable and hearsay—speaks not just to the imagination of the church, but to the obvious miracle of Francis's life's work.

Newsweek

Francis of Assisi so impressed the people of his own time that even before his death a rich field of stories, images, anecdotes, and reports of miracles had sprung up. These so enveloped the saint that many scholars have despaired of uncovering the man behind the legends. Thompson's new biography of the saint is engaging and well-written.

Choice

"It's a book that rescues the human being from hagiography, and that is, in fact, two biographies: one a purely historical one, based on contemporary accounts; and the second a review of the enormous literature of legend and spin that his Order bestowed upon him. The Francis in this book is terrifying and self-destructive, visionary, and tormented. And the way he was subsequently used—in legend and parable and hearsay—speaks not just to the imagination of the church, but to the obvious miracle of Francis's life's work."

Newsweek

"I recommend this book strongly to anyone serious about understanding Francis of Assisi. I admire the clarity and brevity of the writing. With decisiveness, Thompson cuts through the conflicting medieval accounts of each event in Francis' life, adjusts for the hagiographers' spin and creates a credible chronology out of the blurry dates. His knowledge of medieval Italy allows him to provide insightful explanations of the legal, liturgical, and ecclesiastical practices of the time."

Paul Moses

"The stripped-down, bare-bones historical Francis of this biography is at once immensely likeable and deeply disturbing. He is appealing insofar as Thompson makes him seem much more like an ordinary man who accomplished extraordinary things rather than a heaven-sent, self-assured prophet. His befuddlement, his inner turmoil, his inability to control events make him seem not just very human but also much like nearly anyone who is likely to pick up this book."

Carlos Eire

"The bottom line here is that Francis (1181-1226) was not born a saint.... As Thompson portrays him, Francis was not the cloying saint given to grand gestures as depicted by filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli and others. He was a human being who has been embellished nearly out of existence. This expert biography sets the record straight."—Diane Scharper,National Catholic Reporter(February 28, 2014)

"Thompson's biography is truly an excellent piece of scholarship. He strips away the layers of drama covering the person of Francis only to reveal that his subject, in all his humanness, frustrations, and joys, is riveting in his own right."—Neslihan Senocak, Speculum (October 2014)

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