Setting the World on Fire: The Brief, Astonishing Life of St. Catherine of Siena

by Shelley Emling

One of only two patron saints of Italy, the other being St. Francis of Assisi, St. Catherine was ahead of her time. As a political powerhouse in late 14th century Europe, a time of war, social unrest and one of the worst natural disasters of all time--the plague, she worked for peace between Christians while campaigning for a holy crusade against Muslims. She was illiterate but grew into a great writer by dictating to assistants. She was frail and punished herself mercilessly, often starving herself, while offering moral guidance and inspiration to kings, queens and popes.It's easy to see why feminists through the years have sought to claim the patronage of St. Catherine. From her refusal to marry to her assertion that her physical appearance was of no importance, the famous Saint is ripe for modern interpretation. She was a peacemaker during Siena's revolution of 1368, sometimes addressing thousands of people in squares and streets; she convinced Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy to Rome at a time when the Catholic Church was unraveling. How did this girl, the second-youngest of 25 children of a middle-class dyer, grow to become one of the most beloved spiritual figures of all time, a theological giant to rank alongside the likes of Thomas Aquinas? In Setting the World on Fire, Emling gives an intimate portrayal of this fascinating and revolutionary woman.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Religion, Christian, Theology, Faith

251 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 5, 2016

About the author

Shelley Emling has been a journalist for 20 years. She was born in Missouri. Later she grew up in Dallas, Texas. She went to the University of Texas and started her journalism career at UPI.

Shelley is the author of two books: Your Guide to Retiring in Mexico, and most recently, The Fossil Hunter, published by Macmillan in 2009 about paleontologist Mary Anning, whom Shelley had learned of while on a holiday in England.[1] The Fossil Hunter was criticised by the New York Times for having moved away from the central narrative too often, but the reviewer nevertheless noted the ample footnotes, which put the subject's work "into the scientific and sociological context".[2] Nature, however, felt that Emling's "diligent" work was "more thorough and complete" than Tracy Chevalier's fictional account of Anning's life, Remarkable Creatures, which was released the same year – although the reviewer notes that the freedom of the fictionalised account proved to be more engaging.[3]

Reviews

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this biography of St. Catherine of Siena. It filled in some gaps in my knowledge of her life. I do not know enough to evaluate any of the claims about this 14th century mystic, but her bibliography was solid.

[Zippergirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isms--mysticism, fanaticism, feminism--only begin to describe the life of Saint Catherine of Siena. Her devotion to the medieval Catholic Church and the blood of Jesus exceeds human understanding. Mine, anyway. Beginning in early childhood, she renounced life's comforts and necessities to pray. She self-flagellated, wore a hair shirt and slept on a wooden bed with a stone for a pillow. "She very much wanted martyrdom."

She existed most of her years in a state of 'holy anorexia' and despite her later inability to eat anything but the holy Eucharist, was relentless in her prayers and service to others. She left a lasting legacy of hundreds of letters written to encourage, praise and chastise prominent men and women whom she felt were failing to meet the needs of the common people and the Mother Church. She was unschooled and illiterate, yet attracted the support of learned priests and monks among the followers who revered her supreme dedication to purity and selflessness. She became an advisor and liaison to popes, travelled tirelessly in an attempt to heal the Great Schism and wholly influenced Pope Gregory XI to return the Holy See to Rome.

Prepare to be amazed, Shelley Emling is no apologist, and this is not a hagiography. (And if you have no idea what that means, it just means we don't have to be religious scholars to be mesmerized by this book.) Images include famous paintings like "Stigmatization of St. Catherine of Siena" by Domenico Beccafumi and photographs of various locales in her life.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the life of St. Catherine of Siena. Emling does a nice job painting the political world through which Catherine moved.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readers who enjoy Women’s Studies should enjoy this book. It’s a bit repetitive at times, but overall it’s a well written bio of an interesting woman.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spent more years than I want to remember in Catholic schools, went through a period of time when I was in grade school where reading about the lives of the saints was a keen interest of mine. Catherine was the name I choose as my confirmation name. So I had read about this saint before, with younger more naïve beliefs.

Loved the background of this one, her family life, the political situation at the time and her beginning commitment to God. Would have liked to have learned more about exactly how she managed to convince a Pope to move back to Rome and how she managed to become so influential in this male oriented Church. The author tells us she is but doesn't show us how she garnered so much power. Also doesn't delve into the possibility that she may have been mentally ill, only eats the Communion wafers, flogs herself until blood runs, this is not normal. Certainly not now, and for sure questions would be raised, help sought.

I know not too long ago the Catholic Church purged a list of saints from their midst, the name of one of the Catholic Schools I went to was one of them, St. Philomena. Seems mental illness does not make a saint, so I was disappointed that this was not at least raised by the author. Though she is so revered by the Church they probably consider her sacrosanct. Still, interesting reading of the times and the history of the church.

ARC from Netgalley.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and informative biography of St Catherine of Siena which fails to offer any psychological depth. A hagiography more than anything else, Catherine’s sanctity is taken as a given, as are facts such as her ability to go for long periods without food or drink, and that she experienced the stigmata. It’s a simplistic approach, which makes for some unsatisfactory reading. It seems to me that Catherine was mentally ill, and however strong the author’s faith this issue should have at least been addressed. I did enjoy the historical aspects of the book, and felt they were well-researched, but I would have preferred a more balanced account of Catherine is a human being.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I visited Siena, Italy in 2011 and was unable to visit the cathedral of St. Catherine and I was glad to find this detailed book about her life , her great devotion to Jesus and her love and hope for the Church. I was especially interested in the how and why of her devotion to God. I learned a great deal about the policies and troubles of the early church before her time, during her time as a servant of God and her hopes and fears for the unity of the church and what caused the split between the European countries between Avignon, France and Rome, Italy. Then and as today there was conflict, prejudices, wars, factions , politics - sins of the world.

[Book Grocer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchase Setting the World on Fire here for just $10!

I really enjoyed this book. Besides learning about the saint herself, Catherine, I found the book very informative about the place and time where it is set. This book contains info about the Crusades, plague, etc. and the author presents this history in an engaging and well-researched manner. The author writes in an engaging way--each chapter ends with a mini-cliffhanger that made me want to read on to the next chapter.

Shane - The Book Grocer

[Derek Emerson · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is rare for me to get almost through a book and give up, but I did that with this one. I decided to read the introduction to find out why I felt like I was reading a term paper and found out that Emling decided to write on St. Catherine because someone suggested it. She was not aware of her ahead of time, so she did a lot of reading a then wrote a book that really relies on other biographies. She is a good writer, but I expect more original research and understanding of the person when a biography is being written.

[Danielle Eleonora Crohn Guiffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would love to discuss the implications of the medieval mindset in relation to the belief that such extreme measures of physical suffering were an avenue to such a passionate personal relationship with God. Holy anorexia? Masochism?

[Ramon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally I read only quick or whitewashed stories of Saints. This book gave background and things that she did which set her apart. Catherine was a strong woman and worked to evangelize but also fight for what is right. She became very instrumentally in the church when she was needed most.

[Brooke Buth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography has a fair bit of historical background and political detail to add to the stories of st. Catherine. There’s pieces of historical and theological analysis added in by the author, but some pieces read more like a novel and pick up the pace of the book overall.

[Katy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very interesting content. Not the most compelling writing style, for me personally, but probably just a personal preference.

[Kaetty Morales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hoping the focus would be more on her.

[Nannette O'Grady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look into the life of an extraordinary young woman in the 1300's. Her courage to stand up for what she believed and speak out against wrongdoing is admirable in any time and any religion.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned a lot about St Catherine here but the writing itself was distracting.

Early on, St Catherine is described as 'lusting' after the Eucharist. I can come up with a charitable interpretation for that but 'lusting' is just awful word choice here because lust is one of the seven deadly sins.

Later, when discussing St Catherine's fasting, the author refers to 'spiritual planes' which is not really Catholic language. As far as I know at least.

And towards the end, when discussing the Western Schism, the author mentions how forces of the anti-pope had seized a Roman castle and the Roman people "surrounded and assaulted" the castle but the castle only surrendered after running out of food. Feels like there should've been some more detail in there. How did the assault fail? Was there no assault and the Romans just laid siege to the castle?

And there was a lot of stuff of like that, where odd word choice or phrasing made me stop and try to figure out what was going on.

[Lauralee · Rating 4 out of 5]

St. Catherine of Siena was not only one of the Catholic Church’s greatest mystic, she was also one of its greatest writers. She wrote a book called Dialogues, a conversation between God and the human soul about spiritual life. She is also one of the few women that was given the title of Doctors of the Church. In this biography of the saint, this novel focuses on her accomplishments as well as her struggles.

St. Catherine of Siena was the daughter of a wool dyer. She was known as a happy child. When she was six years old, she received a vision of Jesus that profoundly changed her life. After this, she became melancholic. She also defied her family by not marrying and instead devoted her life to God, which eventually her family supported her. Soon, Catherine attracted a large group of followers and eventually she became involved in the political and social matters of the church. One of her accomplishments was that she brought Pope Gregory XI back to Rome. For seventy years, the popes left Rome and established their pontiff in Avignon, France. However, her accomplishment was short lived, for Pope Gregory died, and this divided the Church which led to the Great Schism, an event that spanned for four decades where the Catholic Church had two popes. Yet, while this event distressed her, she nevertheless continued to be a prolific secant of the church.

Overall, this biography focused on St. Catherine of Siena’s legacies as well as disappointments. This novel only focuses on the basics of St. Catherine’s life, and I would have liked for the biographer to give more details to certain events of her life. However, this book was a quick and easy read. I recommend this book for the general reader and for those who do not know much about St. Catherine of Siena. Setting the World on Fire is a great tribute for a woman who worked until her dying breath to reform the Catholic Church and to try to bring about peace and prosperity.
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)

[Rachelle Sperling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shelly Emling states: "Rather than view Catherine through the prism of modernity, one must consider the way her life and teachings transgressed the boundaries placed upon women of her time."

I found that one of the key points of this self described "secular biography" was Catherine's role as a woman who superseded the boundaries of her time and culture, which is an interesting observation, however nowhere in Catherine's own writings did I see a woman out to change the role of women so I found it odd that the author focused in on this particular theme.

I think I could best describe this book as an exercise in cross cultural reading. Not only was Catherine an Italian Roman Catholic (which I am not), but she was also of the culture of the late middle ages. Her thought processes, understandings and interpretations of events were foreign to me. Like reading Dante's Divine Comedy I was well aware that there was much that I missed simply by being from another time and culture. I was intrigued by the background information, but truthfully I was often confused at the apparent dichotomy between what the author told me about her life and the writings by Catherine of Siena that I have read (which are admittedly limited in scope). In this way it opened my eyes to a broader perspective of the woman herself.

I was surprised that the author seemed so generous toward Catherine's many faults (whether they were common misconceptions of the day, such as the idea that self-punishment made one more holy or her own personal idea that God would be pleased with her self starvation). In the end I suppose that what I appreciated about the book was the revelation that Catherine was just as full of faults and misconceptions as any of us are, but still lived a life hungering after God.

[Elizabeth OH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much needed.

[Anna From Gustine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short biography of Catherine of Siena. Catherine lived in the 1300s and was directly involved in the return of the Pope to Rome from Avignon only to see the Church politically split with two separate popes as the result. She was an interesting woman, but I don’t feel like the biography did her justice. It was really for informational purposes with some ideas for further reading. I wanted the author to explore Catherine more deeply. There are some interesting ideas, particularly that Catherine’s visions were inspired by the simple lack of food. She was basically an anorexic starting at a very early age. But these ideas mainly come from other writers. Catherine wasn’t perfect. She supported the Crusades and hated Jews, but who didn’t really at that time? I have a difficult time with modern people putting 21st century mores on those from a completely different time in human evolution. Having said that, I do think that Catherine was still special. She dictated a book that was circulated after her death, she had “disciples” from both sexes, and she preached love and compassion in a much more Christ-like fashion than the vast majority of the holies in this time period. I think she really believed in what she was saying. So, an interesting introduction to a woman who is only one of four doctors of the Catholic Church, but it left me wanting more.

[Mystica]

The story of Catherine and her role in the Catholic church is not one with universal appeal - even amongst Catholics. The author has however set down an accurate perception of Catherine as a person and as someone who was saintly in a way very easy to understand by a lay reader.

Being Catholic it was easy to read and I gained more insight into the life and times of Catherine. The period in which she was born was turbulent politically for both her state and her country and Catherine loved both very much and did everything possible to make sure that both were safe. Her evangelization was not merely for souls amongst the common people but extended to the highest in the land and she did not mince her words even when speaking to Kings, Queens or the Pope. How a girl who was could not read or write, was one of 25 children still manage to reach the position she did was a marvel in itself.

Lots of detail about her life and family added interest to the story.

[Eileen Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing portrait of a woman growing up in 14 century Italy becoming one of the best known orators.
She was a complex person who sought to bring together the Catholic faith which was in danger of falling apart and inspiring church leaders and royalty.
Unfortunately her support for Pope Urban brought her into conflict with his enemies and Catherine was executed.
Many years later she was beatified as there was evidence of miracles happening when ailing persons were cured just by coming into contact with her long dead body.
Blatantly Catherine was appropriated by unscrupulous Fascist/Nazi warmongers for many years, using her name to inspire soldiers on to victory.
Catherine is still revered today, a girl from the back streets of a country in turmoil, who went on to achieving greatness.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher St Martins Press via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.

[Pam Mooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well told story of St. Catherine of Siena. The picture painted of the times she lived in really gives a realistic perspective of her life. Also added in is context in the history of the church at the time so there is no mistake of the trials she faced. I loved how the author really filled in St. Catherine's life with details of her family and other religious figures she encountered and admired. I enjoyed that you could almost follow her thought processes as her life unfolded. A great comprehensive telling that can be read for pleasure or as an educational tool. A good read.

[Andrea Skinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book and interesting read about the historical figure of Catherine of Sienna. Very easy to read with historical and socio-political background provided in order to explain the circumstances of the time she was living in. This was during a very interesting time in European history, and as such provides interesting insight. It does not completely glorify her, due to her support of a Pope that wasn't consistent to the Catholic doctrine, and that I appreciated it. The author did not try to cover up any negative aspects to the historical person of Catherine. I think it's a great read for anyone, as I am not myself Catholic, but appreciated this book.

[LeeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having encountered many quotes from St. Catherine of Siena in the daily meditations in "Divine Intimacy," I was curious to learn more about her. I found Emling's book an informative and enjoyable read. I found Catherine Benincasa to be a remarkable daughter of the Church, a feisty, outspoken firebrand who ranks right up there with St. Teresa of Avila and St. Therese of Lisieux as women who left an indelible mark on not just the Catholic faith, but on the world.

I received an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Mg · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in mystics you will enjoy this book. The life of one of the Church's most distinguished saints, St. Catherine of Siena is brought to life. You will learn about her quirks and what made her so special. The author meticulously recounts the history of the Church at that time so we learn a lot about the political situation. There is an excellent bibliography at the end if you want to learn more about her.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book in Siena after touring St. Catherine's home. It was a fascinating look into a saint of medieval times, and did a good job at trying to explain the parameters of the world within which St. Catherine lived, without reducing St. Catherine to an object of ridicule, which would not be difficult if viewing some of her actions from a more modern lens. This was a secular biographer that did a good job of telling us about the amazing life of St. Catherine.

[Rel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A serviceable biography of one of my favorite hagiographical subjects. Fairly well-written. As always, St. Catherine delights. I didn't finish reading it though, because ... well I already know how the story goes, and I didn't lovvvvve the writer.

[Jean Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable life as a mystic, diplomat, and badass, this is one of the most compelling biographies I've ever read. This one book inspired me to travel to her shrines both in Rome and Siena just to rub shoulders with the legacy of this woman of faith.

[Wadiyyah Salaam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful!