For years, Franciscan historians suspected that another life of St. Francis must have been produced sometime between Thomas of Celano’s first and second account, but it was largely believed to have been lost or destroyed throughout the ages. Dalarun’s groundbreaking discovery of Thomas of Celano’s Life of Our Blessed Father Francis (The Rediscovered Life) confirms that not only was such a text in fact produced, but it is has been sitting in the Vatican library waiting to be discovered all ...

The sources contained in this volume offer an introduction to early liturgical texts dedicated to Francis of Assisi. Frequently ignored by scholars, these crucial sources present a collection of incredible perspectives on how religious communities, both within and outside the Franciscan Order, constructed their identities as they interpreted and performed the life of Francis of Assisi in prayer. The team of international scholars responsible for the volume's introductory essays in the volu...

Cosmic ode, poetic masterpiece, spiritual summit, prayer for peace, call to fraternity: the Canticle of Brother Sun is known by all, or at least its title is, and it has been celebrated in many ways, set to music so many times. Yet, there is something in it that resists, which is why it will never completely be a classic. It continues to vibrate with its initial transgression which pushes it towards the universal while remaining in the assumed particularism of a vernacular dialect. The cal...

This book centers on a fascinating woman, Clare of Rimini (c. 1260 to c. 1324–29), whose story is preserved in a fascinating text. Composed by an anonymous Franciscan, the Life of the Blessed Clare of Rimini is the earliest known saint’s life originally written in Italian, and one of the few such lives to be written while its subject was still living. It tells the story of a controversial woman, set against the background of her roiling city, her star-crossed family, and the tumul...

This book centers on a fascinating woman, Clare of Rimini (c. 1260 to c. 1324–29), whose story is preserved in a fascinating text. Composed by an anonymous Franciscan, the Life of the Blessed Clare of Rimini is the earliest known saint’s life originally written in Italian, and one of the few such lives to be written while its subject was still living. It tells the story of a controversial woman, set against the background of her roiling city, her star-crossed family, and the tumul...

To Govern Is to Serve explores the practices of collective governance in medieval religious orders that turned the precepts of the Gospels—most notably that "the first will be last, the last will be first"—into practices of communal deliberation and the election of superiors. Jacques Dalarun argues that these democratic forms have profoundly influenced modern experiences of democracy, in particular the idea of government not as domination but as s...

"The Sacred Writings Of ..." provides you with the essential works among the Christian writings. The volumes cover the beginning of Christianity until medieval times. This book contains St Francis' admonitions, rules, prayers, letters and more.

**From the national bestselling author of How the Irish Saved Civilization—a fascinating look at how medieval thinkers created the origins of modern intellectual movements.“Intoxicating.... Cahill's command of rich historical detail makes medieval cities and their colorful characters come to alive.” —The Los Angeles TimesAfter the long period of decline known as the Dark Ages, medieval Europe experienced a rebirth of scholarship, ...

"I recommend this book strongly to anyone serious about understanding Francis of Assisi. I admire the clarity and brevity of the writing. With decisiveness, Thompson cuts through the conflicting medieval accounts of each event in Francis' life, adjusts for the hagiographers' spin and creates a credible chronology out of the blurry dates. His knowledge of medieval Italy allows him to provide insightful explanations of the legal, liturgical, and ecclesiastical practices of the time."...

A biography of the saint as both mystic and man: "The single best book about Francis now available in English" ( Commonweal).In this towering work, Andre Vauchez draws on the vast body of scholarship on Francis of Assisi, particularly the important research of recent decades, to create a complete and engaging portrait of the saint. He also explores how the memory of Francis was shaped by contemporaries who recollected him in their writings, and completes t...

In "The Ceremonies of the Holy-Week at Rome," Charles Michael Baggs meticulously chronicles the rich traditions and rituals that define Holy Week in the Roman Catholic Church. The book blends scholarly research with vivid descriptions, transporting readers into the heart of Rome's spiritual landscape during one of its most sacred seasons. Notably, Baggs employs a descriptive literary style that balances meticulous detail with evocative imagery, capturing the profound solemnity and joy that...

This inspiring book, reissued in a new translation for the modern reader, is considered to be Saint Alphonsus Liguori's best devotional work. Divided into seventeen small chapters, each preceded by prayers and intercessions, it offers practical prescriptions for living a holy life.Paperback