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Francis of Assisi: The Life of a Restless Saint
An award-winning historian reconstructs the life of Francis of Assisi, uncovering the man behind the myths
One of the most famous figures in Christian history, Francis of Assisi (1181/82–1226) was revered as a miracle worker during his life and quickly canonized after his death. He has inspired generations of Christians and other spiritual seekers, from medieval ascetics to 1960s hippies and modern environmentalists. The “poverello” wrote poems praising the sun, moon, and stars, spoke to the birds, and—so the story goes—even tamed a wolf. But what do we know for sure about who he was, and what is simply legend?
Drawing on centuries of scholarship, Volker Leppin pieces together fragments of Francis’s life story to find a seeker who never reached his destination, a man whose extraordinary charisma drew others in yet who was uncomfortable in the spotlight. Amazingly, Francis stayed within the fold of the church while offering a new and radical vision of Christianity that proved wildly popular.
Leppin’s Francis of Assisi sets Francis’s inner emotional and spiritual world against a broader historical background to show how the message of this inspiring and often vexing medieval saint continues to resonate in our contemporary world.
One of the most famous figures in Christian history, Francis of Assisi (1181/82–1226) was revered as a miracle worker during his life and quickly canonized after his death. He has inspired generations of Christians and other spiritual seekers, from medieval ascetics to 1960s hippies and modern environmentalists. The “poverello” wrote poems praising the sun, moon, and stars, spoke to the birds, and—so the story goes—even tamed a wolf. But what do we know for sure about who he was, and what is simply legend?
Drawing on centuries of scholarship, Volker Leppin pieces together fragments of Francis’s life story to find a seeker who never reached his destination, a man whose extraordinary charisma drew others in yet who was uncomfortable in the spotlight. Amazingly, Francis stayed within the fold of the church while offering a new and radical vision of Christianity that proved wildly popular.
Leppin’s Francis of Assisi sets Francis’s inner emotional and spiritual world against a broader historical background to show how the message of this inspiring and often vexing medieval saint continues to resonate in our contemporary world.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 28, 2025
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About the author
Volker Leppin
147 books4 followersVolker Leppin is professor for church history in the department for Evangelical Lutheran theology at the University of Tübingen and member of the scientific advisory committee of the Luther Decade.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 26, 2025
Thought provoking
An excellent biography in the historical critical mold! A fleeting glimpse of the saint through fragmentary evidence. Also a study of the founder of a movement which later grew beyond his control.
An excellent biography in the historical critical mold! A fleeting glimpse of the saint through fragmentary evidence. Also a study of the founder of a movement which later grew beyond his control.
Displaying 1 of 1 review