The Ecstasies of St. Francis

Francis of Assisi, the most written-about saint in Western Christianity, is the subject of two more books. Haule (Divine Madness) is a Jungian analyst interested in the mechanics and dynamics of the saint's spiritual life, while Cunningham is a theologian and longtime Francis scholar who situates the saint's life and work within the larger life of the Western Christian church. Both authors agree that Francis's experience and understanding of poverty are central to his originality. Haule presents poverty for Francis as the transcendent, personified Lady, the object of the troubadour's desire. Repeating a 19th-century argument exemplified by Paul Sabatier's still-circulating 1894 biography, Haule portrays Francis as a self-actualized individual whose hardscrabble poverty placed him in conflict with cold-eyed practitioners of theology and law. This study focuses on the inner life of the saint and his ecstatic experiences. Taking a more traditional biographical approach, Cunningham proposes poverty as a way in which Francis, the biblical literalist, could imitate the humble God disclosed in Jesus. Cunningham defends the more recent argument that Francis was, in fact, an orthodox Catholic who tried to be a Catholic reformer, preaching and living the ideals of the reform Councils of the Lateran. Another recent biography of Francis is Donald Spoto's Reluctant Saint; this reviewer's favorite is the little work by G.K. Chesterton, St. Francis of Assisi. Both these new books are suitable for larger public libraries where interest in Catholic saints is strong. Cunningham's book, with its more scholarly approach, is also recommended for academic and seminary libraries.-David I. Fulton, Coll. of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.