When Saint Francis Saved The Church

Jon M Sweeney, author of numerous popular books on St Francis as well as the recent bestseller The Pope Who Quit, offers a surprising new look at the worlds most popular saint, showing how this beloved, but often-mythologised character created a spiritual vision for the ages and may very well have rescued the Christian faith. In When Saint Francis Saved the Church, popular historian Jon Sweeney presents an intriguing portrait of Francis beyond the readily familiar stories and images. In the tradition of Thomas Cahills How the Irish Saved Civilization, Sweeney reveals how the saint became a hinge in the history of the Christian faith and shows how in just 14 yearsfrom 1205 to 1219the unconventional and stumbling wisdom of a converted troubadour changed the Church. Sweeney outlines Franciss revolutionary approach to friendship, the other (people at the margins), poverty, spirituality, care (for people, creatures, and the natural world), and death. This vibrant book presents the unsullied life and message of Francis in its essential details, offering a sweeping, informative, remarkable look at how Francis and his movement quite literally saved the Christian faith and continues to offer a spiritual vision with contemporary relevance.

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