The Road to Assisi

by Sabatier, Paul; Sweeney, Jon M.

• ISBN13: 9781557253286
• ISBN10: 1557253285
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-04-01
• Publisher: Paraclete Pr

Summary

THE MODERN BIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS OF ASSISI. Paul Sabatier (1858-1928), a French Protestant and the first modern biographer of St. Francis, sought to find the man beneath the layers of myth and legend. Sabatier portrayed a fully human Francis, much like each of us in our insecurities and fear, but also a gentle mystic and passionate reformer who desired to live as Jesus taught his disciples. The Road to Assisi presents Sabatier's biography for today's reader. With helpful explanations and annotations by Jon M. Sweeney, Sabatier's narrative is supplemented with the insights of many other scholars and writers, from Bonaventure and Dante to G. K. Chesterton and Umberto Eco.

Author Biography

Paul Sabatier (1858-1928), a French Protestant and the first modern biographer of St. Francis, sought to find the man beneath the layers of myth and legend. Sabatier portrayed a fully human Francis, much like each of us in our awkwardness, insecurities, and fear, but also a gentle mystic and passionate reformer who desired to live as Jesus taught his disciples

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
The Annotated Life of St. Francis of Assisi
His Youth and Family	3	(6)
Stages of Conversion (Spring 1204--Spring 1206)	9	(9)
The Church About 1209---Part One	18	(7)
The Church About 1209---Part Two	25	(9)
Struggles and Triumph (Spring 1206--February 24, 1209)	34	(11)
First Year of Apostolate (Spring 1209--Summer 1210)	45	(7)
St. Francis and Innocent III (Summer 1210)	52	(4)
Rivo-Torto (1210--1211)	56	(6)
Portiuncula, Early Companions, and Their Work (1211)	62	(8)
Brother Francis and Sister Clare	70	(6)
Francis's Love for All Creatures (Autumn 1212--Summer 1215)	76	(7)
His Inner Life and Wonder-Working	83	(6)
The Chapter-General of 1217 and the Influence of Ugolino	89	(8)
St. Dominic and St. Francis	97	(3)
The Egyptian Mission: Preaching to the Sultan (Summer 1218--Autumn 1220)	100	(7)
Crisis in the Order (Autumn 1220)	107	(7)
Francis's Doubts and Weaknesses	114	(3)
The Brothers Minor and Learning (1222--1223)	117	(7)
The Stigmata (1224)	124	(7)
The Canticle of the Sun (Autumn 1224--Autumn 1225)	131	(7)
His Last Year (September 1225-End of September 1226)	138	(17)
Francis's Will and Death (End of September--October 3, 1226)	155	(10)
Four Tales from the Little Flowers of St. Francis
The Source of Joy, or, Francis and Leo Walking in the Freezing Rain	165	(1)
Francis Saves and Nurtures the Turtle-Doves	166	(1)
How Francis Delivered a Brother from the Hold of the Devil	167	(1)
When Francis and Rufino Preached in Their Breeches to the People of Assisi	168	(3)
A Few Notes about the Editing of Sabatier	171	(2)
Glossary of Terms	173	(4)
Summaries of Major Characters	177	(4)
Sources/Recommended Reading	181	(4)
Index	185