Francis of Assisi

Description

In this towering work, André Vauchez draws on the vast body of scholarship on Francis of Assisi, emphasizing in particular the important research of the last 30 years. He creates a complete and engaging portrait of the saint, then explores how the memory of Francis was shaped by contemporaries who recollected him in their writings. Vauchez completes the book by setting "Poverello" in the context of his time, bringing to light what was new, surprising, and even astonishing in the life and vision of this man. The first part of the book is a fascinating reconstruction of Francis's life and work. The second and third parts deal with the myriad texts—hagiographies, chronicles, sermons, personal testimonies, etc.—of writers who recorded aspects of Francis's life and movement as they remembered them, and used those remembrances to construct a portrait of Francis relevant to their concerns. In the final part of the book, Vauchez explores those aspects of Francis's life, personality, and spiritual vision that were unique to him, including his experience of God, his approach to nature, his understanding and use of Scripture, and his impact on culture as well as culture's impact on him. Contents Preface Part I. A Biographical Sketch, 1182–1226 1. Francesco di Bernardone 2. Brother Francis: A Layman in the Christianity of the Early Thirteenth Century Part II: Death and Transfiguration of Francis, 1226– 1253 3. Becoming Saint Francis 1226–1230 4. The “Second Death” of Francis Part III: Images and Myths of Francis of Assisi: From the Middle Ages to Today 5. Medieval Interpretations of Francis: Thirteenth to Fourteenth Centuries 6. Francis Between History and Myth: Sixteenth to Twentieth Centuries Part IV: The Originality of Francis and his Charism The Writings of Francis 7. The Experience of God 8. A New Relationship to Scripture: The Spirit of the Letter 9. Francis, Nature, and the World 10. Francis and the Church: The Charism Within the Institution 11. The Gospel in the World: A Transformation of Religious Anthropology 12. A Cultural Mediator of a New Religious Sensibility Conclusion: Francis, Prophet for His Time . . . or for Ours? Appendix: The Testament of Francis of Assisi, September 1226 Chronology Maps List of Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index