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In this Christian Encounter Series biography, author Robert West explores the life of Saint Francis, a man who lived entirely devoted to God. Francis of Assisi has inspired the church for centuries. Francis took the gospel literally, following all that Jesus said and did without limit, and his devotion led to a life filled with miracles and wonders. Born to a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi, Italy, Francis didn't seem destined for the life of prayer and poverty that he chose. Bankrolled by his father, and with natural good looks and personality, Francis indulged in worldly pleasure. He had a ready wit, sang merrily, and delighted in fine clothes and showy display. Serious illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking ways and led him to a life of prayer and unbridled devotion to Scripture. He gave over all his possessions to the poor and embraced a life of simplicity and poverty, transforming him from a self-centered youth to a man living for God and a model of complete obedience. Christian Encounters, a series of biographies from Thomas Nelson Publishers, highlights important lives from all ages and areas of the Church. Some are familiar faces. Others are unexpected guests. But all, through their relationships, struggles, prayers, and desires, uniquely illuminate our shared experience. … (more)
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In some things Francis's life seems contradictory; he would not eat fine food or would mix it with ashes to deaden the taste, but he loved the sweet almond cakes that Lady Giacoma would make for him. He spurned the society of women, telling his followers that there is no profit in speaking with a woman — but he is strongly associated with Clare and Lady Giacoma whom he called "Brother Giacoma." He mistreated his body by gradual starvation and exposure to the elements, but once told the brothers that it is not good to deprive the body of what it needs. He tried to own nothing, but was laden with rich jewels after his death.
As a Protestant Christian, I don't know what to do with all the miracles Francis is said to have done. I believe in the miracles recounted in the Bible but I have more trouble with tales of medieval wonders. So often they seem frivolous, like the vision Francis supposedly saw of Jesus' eyes moving in a painting and telling Francis to rebuild a church (biblically, would Jesus really care about a church building? see Acts 7:48–50). But Francis's miracles appear to be attested by many witnesses. How much has been exaggerated by medieval credulity or doctored by Church-commissioned biographers is impossible to tell. I'm divided, especially on the issue of stigmata. How does that glorify Christ? Isn't the point of Christ's wounds that He took our place so we don't have to suffer the punishment of sin?
Unfortunately, much information about Francis's early life is sparse and West improvises, writing that Francis "may" have done this or that. This weakens the impact of those sections, but it's inevitable when dealing with such a thin historical record. West des a good job recreating the world of medieval Italy, a brutal and dangerous time. Understanding the incredible poverty and misery of life in 13th-century Assisi makes Francis's renunciation of his father's wealth even more profound.
At the end West quotes from an outspoken hater of Christianity and Catholicism in particular who expressed a yearning to believe, based on his admiration of Francis's life. This is touching, but (if I may borrow some of John Piper's phrasing), unfortunately it reveals nothing more than a fascination with radical devotion rather than with divine beauty. The saint should never outshine his Lord, and Francis would probably be horrified at the veneration he is still shown today by Catholics and nonbelievers alike.
It is tempting to be critical of Francis because we feel materialistic and selfish after reading about his life and want to instantly defend ourselves by finding flaws in his teachings. I do have some issues with his theology and practices and believe several to be demonstrably unbiblical, but I don't want to slam him just because his example is so blindingly sacrificial. Though I am still pondering many of the things in his life, I enjoyed learning more about Francis and found this to be a well-written and fascinating biography.
Disclosure: I received this book at no cost through Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze program. This review is my honest opinion of the work.
I chose to review this book because I didn’t know much about Francis other than a few folktales and the hymn, “All Creatures of Our God and King”. It turns out there’s a lot more to Francis than
There were times in the biography where West clearly added circumstantial details to make Francis’ life more vivid. You often read statements like, “It does not take much of a leap to envision Francis and his Sons of Babylon fighting rival gangs” (31), or, “The local priest may have known about the chamber and used the area to store foodstuffs” (71). This is due to the paucity of historic data West had to work with.
This is a fine introduction to the life of a remarkable God-touched saint.
Disclaimer: I received this book for free as a member of Thomas Nelson’s Booksneeze program.