When Saint Francis Saved the Church - Softcover

Sweeney, Jon M

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1594716463 ISBN 13: 9781594716461

Publisher: Ave Maria Press, 2015

Synopsis

Jon M. Sweeney, bestselling author of The Pope Who Quit, offers a surprising look at the world's most popular saint, showing how this beloved-but-often-mythologized character created a spiritual vision for the ages and may very well have rescued the Christian faith. Now in paperback, this new edition--called "a contemporary classic-in-the-making" by the National Catholic Reporter--includes study questions.

In When Saint Francis Saved the Church, Jon M. Sweeney presents an intriguing portrait of St. Francis of Assisi beyond the distorted myths and legends handed down over the centuries. Sweeney's portrait--called "part biography, part devotional . . . a rare combination of history and inspiration" by Patheos blogger Jack Levinson--reveals a saint who was an unpredictable puzzle.

Sweeney outlines Francis's revolutionary approach to friendship, 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 remarkable look at how Francis and his movement saved the Christian faith--and continues to offer a spiritual vision with contemporary relevance. Sweeney also ties in the link between Pope Francis and his namesake.

About this title

About the Author:

Jon M. Sweeney is an independent scholar and one of religion's most respected writers. His work has been hailed by everyone from PBS and James Martin, S.J., to Fox News and Dan Savage. He's been interviewed on CBS Saturday Morning, Fox News, CBS-TV Chicago, Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, and on the popular program Chicago Tonight. Several of his books have become Book-of-the-Month Club and Quality Paperback Book Club selections. His popular medieval history, The Pope Who Quit, was published by Image/Random House and optioned by HBO. It was a selection of the History Book Club and received a starred review in Booklist. His book, When Saint Francis Saved the Church, received a 2015 award for excellence in history from the Catholic Press Association. His other words include Inventing Hell, The Complete Francis of Assisi, and The St. Francis Prayer Book. Sweeney writes regularly for America and The Tablet. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Review:

"An exciting, intelligent, and faithful understanding of Francis of Assisi--for our time and for all time! Read, and find hope!" --Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico

"Jon Sweeney is good at many things, but he is a master at retrieving the treasure of the Christian past and restoring it to currency for the Christian present. In this book, he transcends even those categories." --Barbara Brown Taylor, Author of An Altar in the World

"Reflecting with Jon Sweeney on the work and wisdom of St. Francis of Assisi orients us on how to pray for Pope Francis's efforts and to respond to his initiatives." --Bert Ghezzi, Author of Voices of the Saints

"This Francis is a Francis that readers may feel they are meeting anew and finding even more relevant in their lives." --Murray Bodo, O.F.M., Author of The Way of St. Francis

"Jon Sweeney applies popular history to a man who changed history, St. Francis of Assisi. Deeply familiar with the Franciscan sources and writing in a very accessible style, Sweeney points to Pope Francis's inspiration. I like this book!" --John Feister, Editor-in-Chief of St. Anthony Messenger

"This well-informed meditation on the life of St. Francis is a delight to read. Jon Sweeney's careful and timely retelling of Francis's story deepens our understanding of why a twenty-first-century pope took the saint's name--and gives us hope for the future of the Church." -- --Paul Moses, Author of The Saint and the Sultan

About this edition

• Publisher: Ave Maria Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1594716463
• ISBN 13: 9781594716461
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192