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Reluctant Saint: The Life of Francis of Assisi
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.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
72 people are currently reading
612 people want to read
About the author
Donald Spoto
59 books167 followersA prolific and respected biographer and theologian, Donald Spoto is the author of twenty published books, among them bestselling biographies of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Alfred Hitchcock, Tennessee Williams, and Ingrid Bergman. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages. Donald Spoto earned his Ph.D. in theology at Fordham University. After years as a theology professor, he turned to fulltime writing. The Hidden Jesus: A New Life, published in 1999, was hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "offering a mature faith fit for the new millennium." His successful biography of Saint Francis was published in 2002.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
April 15, 2008
It is definitely a different take on Francis, one that really gets into the nitty gritty of who he was as a man. The author mentions somewhere in the book that saints are often portrayed as these people who looked at life with rose colored glasses and never faltered. This is not that type of story. It allows the reader to see the true humanity of Francis, being able to identify with his pain and suffering, as well as his triumphs. It makes me want to know more about Francis, to delve deeper into his person. I believe that this author, however, paints the truest picture of a truly great man.
May 3, 2010
I thought this book was absolutely exquisite. It gives a frank look at life in the middle ages and a wonderful down-to-earth portrait of St. Francis. The prose is intelligent but still accessible. I found St. Francis to be personally inspirational. I have a new hero! What a magnificent person. He struggled to know God's will for Him, and had to accept that what God wanted him to do and what he wanted for himself was not the same. A must read for any wishing to become a true Christian and true disciple. A life changing book.
December 20, 2010
3 1/2 stars
Whatever it is that keeps me from selling all that I own and living a life of servitude and simplicity is probably also keeping me from reaching a level of holiness that Francis Bernardone achieved. Clearly the man was holy.
While traveling in Italy, and Assisi in particular, during college, I was introduced to Francis of Assisi via Cimabue and Giotto's frescoes in the Upper Church of Francesco's (pre-earthquake!) as well as a visit to the Poor Clares of San Damiano. But my true admiration for the man came from reading this work of history.
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Donald Spoto has created a straightforward and well-researched (though perhaps not riveting) document of St. Francis' life. Mr. Spoto balances faith (which Spoto shows he, himself, has) with fact, dismissing the mythological versions of St. Francis and upholding, instead, his complete devotion to Christ.
There were segments of this book that were beautifully written. Here are a few of my favorites:
We have come to accept the inscrutability of inspiration, the sudden moment of illumination, the unforeseen leap of imagination that occurs in the expression of human genius. Archimedes, Kepler, Newton and Einstein in science have their artistic counterparts in Homer, Shakespeare, Mozart and Monet. The only thing we can say for certain about their moments of epiphany is that their precise source cannot be rationally explained; the person enlightened is perhaps astonished most of all. There are many such stories throughout history and in every culture; each of them changed lives past counting."
(p. 60)
The several paragraphs about birds, but particularly:
"...throughout the Middle Ages, birds were often used to represent souls, because they can fly up to God. They were also potent symbols of freedom. In the feudal system, the majority of people were tied to the land, and almost no one was mobile. But birds were unfettered, cheerful, singing, hopeful - everything workers aspired to be. As scholars have also long pointed out, the brilliant colors and intricate markings of birds were often regarded as parallels to the complex and colorful details of medieval heraldry."
(p. 103)
"This is perhaps the deepest form of prayer: a silent turning of the self toward God in acknowledgment of one's emptiness and impotence - the realization that one is helpless to effect one's own enlightenment or salvation. This is perhaps also the deepest form of poverty: the conviction that one is completely contingent, dependent in the core of one's being on God, Who acts only mercifully, only on our behalf."
(p. 188)
"With that sort of iconography, the Resurrection, which is at the heart of Christian faith, was effectively ignored. With attention deflected to the suffering of Jesus in the past, the Risen Christ of the present - who suffers no longer and lives forever - begins to fade from the Church's ordinary proclamation of the fundamentals of faith."
(p. 196)
"And here we come very close to the true meaning of holiness. It is, at it's deepest level, a condition of spiritual integrity that always upsets public presumptions and counters the selfishness and madness of power that strangle so much peace in the world. Faith certainly professes that God continues to disclose Himself in all the intricate beauty of the world and its ongoing evolution, but perhaps God reveals Himself most of all in that sudden and unexpected radiance of extraordinary human goodness that we call sanctity."
(p. 213)
Whatever it is that keeps me from selling all that I own and living a life of servitude and simplicity is probably also keeping me from reaching a level of holiness that Francis Bernardone achieved. Clearly the man was holy.
While traveling in Italy, and Assisi in particular, during college, I was introduced to Francis of Assisi via Cimabue and Giotto's frescoes in the Upper Church of Francesco's (pre-earthquake!) as well as a visit to the Poor Clares of San Damiano. But my true admiration for the man came from reading this work of history.
[image error]
Donald Spoto has created a straightforward and well-researched (though perhaps not riveting) document of St. Francis' life. Mr. Spoto balances faith (which Spoto shows he, himself, has) with fact, dismissing the mythological versions of St. Francis and upholding, instead, his complete devotion to Christ.
There were segments of this book that were beautifully written. Here are a few of my favorites:
We have come to accept the inscrutability of inspiration, the sudden moment of illumination, the unforeseen leap of imagination that occurs in the expression of human genius. Archimedes, Kepler, Newton and Einstein in science have their artistic counterparts in Homer, Shakespeare, Mozart and Monet. The only thing we can say for certain about their moments of epiphany is that their precise source cannot be rationally explained; the person enlightened is perhaps astonished most of all. There are many such stories throughout history and in every culture; each of them changed lives past counting."
(p. 60)
The several paragraphs about birds, but particularly:
"...throughout the Middle Ages, birds were often used to represent souls, because they can fly up to God. They were also potent symbols of freedom. In the feudal system, the majority of people were tied to the land, and almost no one was mobile. But birds were unfettered, cheerful, singing, hopeful - everything workers aspired to be. As scholars have also long pointed out, the brilliant colors and intricate markings of birds were often regarded as parallels to the complex and colorful details of medieval heraldry."
(p. 103)
"This is perhaps the deepest form of prayer: a silent turning of the self toward God in acknowledgment of one's emptiness and impotence - the realization that one is helpless to effect one's own enlightenment or salvation. This is perhaps also the deepest form of poverty: the conviction that one is completely contingent, dependent in the core of one's being on God, Who acts only mercifully, only on our behalf."
(p. 188)
"With that sort of iconography, the Resurrection, which is at the heart of Christian faith, was effectively ignored. With attention deflected to the suffering of Jesus in the past, the Risen Christ of the present - who suffers no longer and lives forever - begins to fade from the Church's ordinary proclamation of the fundamentals of faith."
(p. 196)
"And here we come very close to the true meaning of holiness. It is, at it's deepest level, a condition of spiritual integrity that always upsets public presumptions and counters the selfishness and madness of power that strangle so much peace in the world. Faith certainly professes that God continues to disclose Himself in all the intricate beauty of the world and its ongoing evolution, but perhaps God reveals Himself most of all in that sudden and unexpected radiance of extraordinary human goodness that we call sanctity."
(p. 213)
July 28, 2010
Scholarly foundation, but highly readable. The author is respectful, and orthodox in his view, yet doesn't romantasize and oft overly romasntasized subject.
I love Francesco even more than I did before reading this...
I love Francesco even more than I did before reading this...
May 4, 2020
A thorough portrait of a man who pursued God's heart.
January 2, 2008
I'm not Catholic but I read this book before I visited Assisi this summer. St. Francis was an interesting character, to say the least, and someone for whom I have the upmost respect. This book seems to be one of the better, more balanced biographies, and Spoto does a good job of historically contextualizing the stories and legends. I don't read a lot of this type of book, and I didn't know what to expect, but I liked it.
March 13, 2008
Spoto gives a fascinating cultural/historical framework for St. Francis' life. This is not a work of hagiography, but a responsible and respectful biography on this most popular saint in the Christian world. Spoto adds his own musings on the challenge of following Christ as he tells us about St. Francis. A very inspiring book.
March 15, 2013
This is the best biography of St Francis I have ever read, the author presents a good medieval history backround & has clearly studied his references well. I loved Francis even more after reading this. Francis was no plaster saint but a real, human & holy man of medieval times. As a follower of Francis I appreciated the realities of his life & beliefs being presented in such a clear manner.
November 3, 2013
This is the second time I have read this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to read a meaningful biography, grow deeper in acts of Faith, or better understand such amazing characters in the Middle Ages.
February 28, 2011
Wonderful description of a life that I knew vaguely, in romantisized terms, and a prayer that I had grown up with. Well researched with insight into faith and relationships to God.
October 31, 2013
The bio of St. Francis that I consider the best I've read: complete with historical background and culture of the time, to help the reader try to understand this saint. I loved it.
July 29, 2016
Really the best telling about Francis that I can imagine, for the modern reader. I've now read it twice.
October 28, 2020
A beautiful biography of a holy, reluctant man, written with historical insight and faithful admiration, magnifying the humility of a once proud and vainglorious member of the noble class and his transformation to a humble servant of God. Donald Spotify writes with such grace and care for his subject, treating him as gently as Francis would have a leper, but also holding the man accountable for shallow pursuits of knighthood early in his career. Here are a few of Spoto’s summarizing passages about Francis:
“The life of Francis of Assisi and the journey of his progress toward God had meant accepting a series of corrections and simplifications, a refining of his understanding about what God wanted of him... Francis’ conversion was the work of a lifetime, with all its autumns and winters; it was not the achievement of an afternoon in springtime.”
“The daily process of turning to God, of allowing himself to belong to God, reveals the deepest logic of Francis’s ever more serious insistence on poverty - which did not primarily mean having no possessions but rather not being possessive about anything or anyone, not acting as if he were the proprietor of anyone or anything.
Every day, he tried to have no single thing as his own property so that he could rely on nothing, so that nothing would become a wedge between himself and God.”
“Facing suffering with the utmost gravity, Francis saw the world as steeped in tragedy but also embraced and ultimately redeemed by God.”
“It has to be acknowledged that Francis was also an eccentric, as saints tend to be...they are resoundingly not normal people, for how indeed does one remain somnolently normal after being shaken to the roots by an encounter with God? ... Anyone firmly on the road to conversion will sometimes not act “normally;” our worship services and prayer books might well benefit from the addition of formal requests to God that He deliver us from the limitations of normality.”
“...we come very close to the true meaning of holiness. At its deepest level, (it is) a condition of spiritual integrity that always upsets public presumptions and counters the selfishness and madness of power that strangle so much peace in the world.”
“Perhaps there is no clearer sign of Francis’s journey and achievement than in the question he asked so often: ‘Who are You, my dearest God? And what am I but Your useless servant?’ This is a sublime prayer, not the expression of a philosophical inquiry of the nature of God and the self. It faces with absolute gravity the idea that God it utterly unknowable-as is the deepest truth of one’s own life.
But it is also, by the very fact of being addressed to God, a statement of unreserved conviction about the supreme reality of God, who brings sense out of Francis’s own emptiness and absurdity, his uselessness.”
The book ends with this passage.
“The radiant blue light of evening shone over the valley and covered the hills above Assisi. In describing his last moments, Francis’s friends never forgot one detail: ‘Many birds, called larks, flew low above the roof of the house where he lay, wheeling in a circle and singing.’”
“The life of Francis of Assisi and the journey of his progress toward God had meant accepting a series of corrections and simplifications, a refining of his understanding about what God wanted of him... Francis’ conversion was the work of a lifetime, with all its autumns and winters; it was not the achievement of an afternoon in springtime.”
“The daily process of turning to God, of allowing himself to belong to God, reveals the deepest logic of Francis’s ever more serious insistence on poverty - which did not primarily mean having no possessions but rather not being possessive about anything or anyone, not acting as if he were the proprietor of anyone or anything.
Every day, he tried to have no single thing as his own property so that he could rely on nothing, so that nothing would become a wedge between himself and God.”
“Facing suffering with the utmost gravity, Francis saw the world as steeped in tragedy but also embraced and ultimately redeemed by God.”
“It has to be acknowledged that Francis was also an eccentric, as saints tend to be...they are resoundingly not normal people, for how indeed does one remain somnolently normal after being shaken to the roots by an encounter with God? ... Anyone firmly on the road to conversion will sometimes not act “normally;” our worship services and prayer books might well benefit from the addition of formal requests to God that He deliver us from the limitations of normality.”
“...we come very close to the true meaning of holiness. At its deepest level, (it is) a condition of spiritual integrity that always upsets public presumptions and counters the selfishness and madness of power that strangle so much peace in the world.”
“Perhaps there is no clearer sign of Francis’s journey and achievement than in the question he asked so often: ‘Who are You, my dearest God? And what am I but Your useless servant?’ This is a sublime prayer, not the expression of a philosophical inquiry of the nature of God and the self. It faces with absolute gravity the idea that God it utterly unknowable-as is the deepest truth of one’s own life.
But it is also, by the very fact of being addressed to God, a statement of unreserved conviction about the supreme reality of God, who brings sense out of Francis’s own emptiness and absurdity, his uselessness.”
The book ends with this passage.
“The radiant blue light of evening shone over the valley and covered the hills above Assisi. In describing his last moments, Francis’s friends never forgot one detail: ‘Many birds, called larks, flew low above the roof of the house where he lay, wheeling in a circle and singing.’”
July 11, 2025
Donald Spoto’s Reluctant Saint offers a clear-eyed and grounded account of Francis of Assisi, not as a legend or miracle worker, but as a man shaped by trial, suffering, and the pursuit of virtue. Far from hagiography, this biography strips away the sentimental veil often cast over Francis, revealing a figure who struggled deeply with his nature and his calling, yet chose a path of radical simplicity and moral clarity.
Spoto does not present Francis as flawless, nor as a man immune to fear or error. Instead, we meet someone painfully aware of the illusions of wealth, status, and self-importance...someone who, in the face of comfort and acclaim, chose discomfort, obscurity, and service. That choice, repeated again and again, is where Spoto locates the strength of Francis’s character.
The book’s strength lies in its restraint. Spoto avoids sensationalism and gives no unnecessary weight to miracle or myth. He respects the spiritual significance of Francis’s life without surrendering to mysticism. What emerges is a portrait of a man who lived by action, not ambition, and who understood, as the Stoics did, that virtue lies in what we control: our intentions, our values, our willingness to act rightly despite cost or misunderstanding.
Reluctant Saint is not only a study in history, but a meditation on what it means to live with integrity in a world governed by distraction and pride. Spoto shows that sainthood is not a sudden elevation but the result of choosing the harder path again and again.
For those who seek models of principled living in an unprincipled age, this biography offers more than inspiration. Instead, it offers a challenge. And like all good challenges, it calls us not to admiration, but to action.
Spoto does not present Francis as flawless, nor as a man immune to fear or error. Instead, we meet someone painfully aware of the illusions of wealth, status, and self-importance...someone who, in the face of comfort and acclaim, chose discomfort, obscurity, and service. That choice, repeated again and again, is where Spoto locates the strength of Francis’s character.
The book’s strength lies in its restraint. Spoto avoids sensationalism and gives no unnecessary weight to miracle or myth. He respects the spiritual significance of Francis’s life without surrendering to mysticism. What emerges is a portrait of a man who lived by action, not ambition, and who understood, as the Stoics did, that virtue lies in what we control: our intentions, our values, our willingness to act rightly despite cost or misunderstanding.
Reluctant Saint is not only a study in history, but a meditation on what it means to live with integrity in a world governed by distraction and pride. Spoto shows that sainthood is not a sudden elevation but the result of choosing the harder path again and again.
For those who seek models of principled living in an unprincipled age, this biography offers more than inspiration. Instead, it offers a challenge. And like all good challenges, it calls us not to admiration, but to action.
January 16, 2025
Spoto does a great job of situating Francis and his life in the culture and place of his times. He is careful to only provide details of Francis's life that have the clearest evidence of truth rather than mythical embellishment.
Foremost in this mission is Spoto's caution that we see the humanity of a saint, rather than some overwhelming piety that effortlessly keeps one on the saintly path. Therefore, we see Francis battle against obstacles that are constantly evolving to thwart him in many ways. This includes the fact that Francis struggles even to maintain the relationship to God that he desires.
Despite this, Francis's steadfast mission is to live according to the Gospels, particularly the example of Jesus. His ideas are radical to the point of offending the culture of his times. He is sometimes viewed as a fool, though his religious convictions do become officially sanctioned.
His basic message consists of service, peace, and joy. I was most interested in how that translated to his sermons being upbeat and encouraging, in direct contrast to the approach of almost all other preaching of the time. Francis refused to condemn any human being for their thoughts or behavior and always looked to keeping his heart open to how he could help any soul.
Foremost in this mission is Spoto's caution that we see the humanity of a saint, rather than some overwhelming piety that effortlessly keeps one on the saintly path. Therefore, we see Francis battle against obstacles that are constantly evolving to thwart him in many ways. This includes the fact that Francis struggles even to maintain the relationship to God that he desires.
Despite this, Francis's steadfast mission is to live according to the Gospels, particularly the example of Jesus. His ideas are radical to the point of offending the culture of his times. He is sometimes viewed as a fool, though his religious convictions do become officially sanctioned.
His basic message consists of service, peace, and joy. I was most interested in how that translated to his sermons being upbeat and encouraging, in direct contrast to the approach of almost all other preaching of the time. Francis refused to condemn any human being for their thoughts or behavior and always looked to keeping his heart open to how he could help any soul.
November 4, 2025
Muy bueno.
El autor retrata la posición de San Francisco dentro de las fuerzas políticas, eclesiásticas y sociales de la Italia medieval, con toda su violencia , color y misterio, y nos narra -como si se tratara de una película - una idea que capturó el corazón y la mente de millones de personas.
Sin duda, se trata de una perspectiva diferente sobre Francisco, una que profundiza en la esencia de quién era como hombre. El autor menciona en algún punto del libro que a menudo se retrata a los santos como personas que veían la vida color de rosa, todo perfecto , celestial y nunca flaqueaban. En cambio en el libro se permite al lector ver la verdadera humanidad de San Francisco, empatizar con su dolor y sufrimiento, así como con sus triunfos. Es así como el autor pinta el retrato más fiel de un hombre verdaderamente grande equilibrando la Fe con los hechos, descartando las versiones mitológicas de San Francisco y defendiendo, en cambio, su completa devoción a Cristo. ✝️
“Luchó por conocer la voluntad de Dios y tuvo que aceptar que lo que Dios quería que hiciera y lo que él deseaba para sí mismo no coincidían.”
El autor retrata la posición de San Francisco dentro de las fuerzas políticas, eclesiásticas y sociales de la Italia medieval, con toda su violencia , color y misterio, y nos narra -como si se tratara de una película - una idea que capturó el corazón y la mente de millones de personas.
Sin duda, se trata de una perspectiva diferente sobre Francisco, una que profundiza en la esencia de quién era como hombre. El autor menciona en algún punto del libro que a menudo se retrata a los santos como personas que veían la vida color de rosa, todo perfecto , celestial y nunca flaqueaban. En cambio en el libro se permite al lector ver la verdadera humanidad de San Francisco, empatizar con su dolor y sufrimiento, así como con sus triunfos. Es así como el autor pinta el retrato más fiel de un hombre verdaderamente grande equilibrando la Fe con los hechos, descartando las versiones mitológicas de San Francisco y defendiendo, en cambio, su completa devoción a Cristo. ✝️
“Luchó por conocer la voluntad de Dios y tuvo que aceptar que lo que Dios quería que hiciera y lo que él deseaba para sí mismo no coincidían.”
December 2, 2025
“I have done what is mine, may Christ teach you what is yours to do.”
So beautiful… finds the perfect balance of historical facts & context, and narrative passages that illustrate the life of this incredibly grounded figure. There’s so many profound moments written with a gentle sentimentality that never give into the romantic indulgence that St. Francis’ life is usually portrayed with. I’m closing this book to find my perspective on life changed for the better.
“He did not love an impersonal universal force… Francis would have no comprehension of the word “nature.”… he had a sense of something deeper: the unity in God of all that is.”
So beautiful… finds the perfect balance of historical facts & context, and narrative passages that illustrate the life of this incredibly grounded figure. There’s so many profound moments written with a gentle sentimentality that never give into the romantic indulgence that St. Francis’ life is usually portrayed with. I’m closing this book to find my perspective on life changed for the better.
“He did not love an impersonal universal force… Francis would have no comprehension of the word “nature.”… he had a sense of something deeper: the unity in God of all that is.”
December 30, 2020
This was a great exposition of the life of the saint Francis de Assisi. This biography not overdone, but provided enough contextual information to understand what we know about this man. I appreciated that the author was religious even if I didn't agree with all his perspectives. The life of Francis felt so human, so like everyone's life. It was full of folly, tragedy, recalibration, certain successes amongst what seemed a litany of failures. Definitely, a recommended read if you want to understand St. Francis and the order he created.
November 4, 2021
At times riveting, other times a slog; just as real life is, even for a saint. I appreciate the author’s careful distinctions between myths and realities. I particularly loved his side-street dives into the ontology of faith to further flesh out the intensity of Francis’s devotion — above and beyond as a biographer. I haven’t read much about Francis beyond snippets, but this seemed as well-rounded of a biography one could expect for a man shrouded by centuries-old legends.
May 30, 2018
Francis lived an extraordinary life, but Spoto wrote his story with so much heaviness that it felt like reading a social studies textbook. The history could have been something that kept you at the edge of your seat, but you were too busy falling asleep.
If Spoto's other titles are written differently, I might enjoy them. Otherwise, he's not enough of a storyteller for me.
If Spoto's other titles are written differently, I might enjoy them. Otherwise, he's not enough of a storyteller for me.
August 10, 2018
Saints don't seem to be relevant as examples of how to live these days, because the typical description of a saint makes them sound too good to be true. No normal person could live like that.
"The Reluctant Saint" blasts through this problem. It makes the legendary St. Francis of Assisi into a real man, a man of his time. a man who ended up being good, not too good to be true.
"The Reluctant Saint" blasts through this problem. It makes the legendary St. Francis of Assisi into a real man, a man of his time. a man who ended up being good, not too good to be true.
June 9, 2020
A good, solid general biography of this saint that cuts through some of the myths and presuppositions of his life. This book is a good place to start to learn about Francis and his place in medieval Europe. I appreciated the author putting Francis in context in his time, rather than applying today’s cultural norms to the thoughts and lifestyles of the 13th century.
October 4, 2022
A beautiful book. It adds perspective to St. Francis of Assisi and it allows the reader to relate to him more. I didn't care for the secular arguments regarding the divine acts of St. Francis, especially when it came to the stigmata. Regardless, this book taught me more than I thought I would ever know about the saint because of the use of good writing and historical documents.
October 21, 2023
Best bio of St. Francis I have read. I’ve read Jurgensen, Chesterton, Kazantazkis, Thompson (a friend), probably others. Gives cultural and historical background, realistic spirituality, the human saint. Skillful writer. Down to earth, not dumbed down. Not a hagiography. Felt like I was reading about the real Francis.
February 17, 2021
A nuanced biography of St. Francis. Always going to be hard as so few records exist. A balanced record. Many Catholics may feel he is given short shrift but I think a more honest book makes him even more exceptional.
March 5, 2023
A sober and serious telling of the life of Saint Francis that humanizes him and removes the mythology that has been layered over his story for the past 800 years. Spoto's book makes Francis approachable and human, which paradoxically makes the saint all the more awe inspiring.
October 24, 2024
Amazingly quick read. I really liked the writing style that told the story of St. Francis's life with accuracy but in a narrative format. Highly recommended to anyone seeking to better understand this Saint.
December 24, 2017
Outstanding biography of this man of God.
March 4, 2018
Such an intimate look into the life of one of the most important and inspirational Christian saints, Francis of Assisi
August 23, 2018
Puts a very human face on an ordinary man who becomes an extraordinary Saint.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews