Reluctant Saint: The Life of Francis of Assisi [Paperback]

Acclaimed biographer Donald Spoto strips away the legends from the life of Francis of Assisi to reveal the true story of a man who has too often been obscured by pious iconography. Drawing on unprecedented access to unexplored archives, plus Francis's own letters, Spoto places Francis within the context of the multifaceted ecclesiastical, political, and social forces of medieval Italy, casting new light on Francis and showing how his emphasis on charity as the heart of the Gospel's message helped him pioneer a new social movement. This nuanced portrait reveals the multifaceted character of a man who can genuinely be said to have changed the course of history.Reluctant SaintAcknowledgments
Introduction
One: 1181-1187
Two: 1187-1196
Three: 1196-1205
Four: 1205
Five: 1206-1208
Six: 1208-1209
Seven: 1209
Eight: 1209-1210
Nine: 1211-1212
Ten: 1212-1213
Eleven: 1213-1218
Twelve: 1219-1220
Thirteen: 1220-1222
Fourteen: 1223-1224
Fifteen: 1225-1226
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author An engaging and revealing portrait of a remarkable man. (The Hartford Courant)

As with The Hidden Jesus, [Spoto again] produces a serious, thought-provoking book. (Booklist)
Donald Spoto, author ofThe Hidden Jesus, taught theology, Christian mysticism, and biblical literature at the university level for twenty years. His other eighteen books include internationally bestselling biographies of Alfred Hitchcock, Laurence Olivier, Tennessee Williams, and Ingrid Bergman.US