Ecstasies of St. Francis: The Way of Lady Poverty

In this fascinating account of St. Francis' inner life, Haule, a Jungian analyst and student of Hindu Tantra, shows that, like tantrikas, Francis relentlessly pursued the most disturbing experiences in life to achieve higher states of consciousness--ecstasies in which he stood outside his ordinary self while contemplating and living a higher reality. Francis embraced poverty and sorrows, cared for lepers and outcasts, begged for his bread.

Fascinated early on by romantic and troubadour liter...