Customer Reviews

Saint Francis (Christian Encounters Series)

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. . . this one was the best by far.

The "Christian Encounters" series is a publishing event by Thomas Nelson, an Evangelical (yet not Fundamentalist) Protestant publishing firm of some note. The point of this series is to quickly introduce readers to interesting figures in history and to explore the way their faith impacted their lives. St. Francis of Assisi is a figure beloved across the religious spectrum from Catholic to Protestant and even to persons who claim no faith. In spite of the Evangelical nature of the publisher (and the target audience) this is one Catholic figure whose inclusion in the series is not likely to cause controversy.

This book is a basic, but also accurate, biography of the life of St. Francis -- from his upbringing in wealth (and life of dissipation) to his unsuccessful military forays, to his conversion and utter devotion to Lady Poverty and subsequent founding of the Franciscan order. Also included are some of the controversies which surrounded St. Francis even during his life -- from a father who was utterly opposed to his embrace of poverty, to his struggles in having the Order accepted by Church authorities, to followers who did not always have his best interests at heart.

It is obvious to me that the author is not a Catholic, as some rather basic mistakes regarding the life of the Church are made. (For example "Prime" is not "Early morning Mass" but rather the service of prayers and psalms recited at the 1st (Prime) hour of the day.) Nevertheless, of all the books in this series I've reviewed, this is one I can in good conscience recommend.

The life of St. Francis is so shrouded in legend that it is difficult for many biographers to separate the truth from myth. Other biographers bring so many presuppositions to the study that they claim St. Francis as their own without truly scratching the surface of his motivations and intent. Some biographers have sought to psycho-analyze Francis to explain his super-human persona as some sort of delusion or guilt-driven actions brought on by a dysfunctional childhood.

Mr. West avoids all the controversial and super-hero legends to give us a simple story of a simple man with a deep conviction that true joy does not come from possessions but from God alone. Francis would remind us that the way to change the world is not through political or religious revolution in the halls of power but radical revolution in our own hearts. Perhaps the greatest evidence Francis' humility is in his reluctance to point a finger of accusation at anyone other than himself. If asked what was wrong with the world, Francis would have responded as did G. K. Chesteron did centuries later, I am What's Wrong with the World (Dover Books on History, Political and Social Science).

The simple, balanced, unthreatening approach makes this an ideal introductory biography of St. Francis - especially for teens and young adults. But for more serious study I would have to also recommend something like Francis of Assisi CD Lecture - The Teaching Company (The Great Courses).

This book is a light and airy (in a good way) story of the life of one of the most famous Catholic saints, Francis of Assisi. It follows his life from his wanton youth to the strict follower not just of the word of Jesus, but also of his way of life. His life began a movement back to the basics of Catholic teaching and away from the corruption so prevalant during this period of the church. The book is by no means a critical review of the history and myth behind the man. Rather it is written for more of the true believer who would like a quick study (I read the book in less than two days)of this famous and benelovent man. It does not really question the miracles attributed to him and in some passages makes him almost mythical. Francis was not a scholarly, intellectual type of theologian. His strength was in his simple view of how to live a life devoted to God. I recommend this book for anyone who wants a short but relatively thorough life story of this saint told in an easy to read form.

A few months ago Thomas Nelson publishing sent me a copy of Robert West's mini-biography on Francis of Assisi aptly titled Saint Francis. I have interest in Francis for a few reasons: (1) he was a peace-maker; (2) he was a friend of the poor; (3) he was a proto-ecotheologian; (4) he climbed down the very ladder most people are trying to ascend being that he came from a wealthy family only to seek a life of poverty; (5) he is all these things and many more than I am not!

West's book is not in-depth. It reads very friendly. There are a few notes for each chapter but they are stashed away in the very back. Since it is not an "academic" work in how it reads I doubt anyone will be too upset that the notes are not embedded in the flow of the narrative.

The structure is based on various epics of his life totaling eighteen chapters at two hundred and twenty-one pages. By far my favorite story of Francis is his mediating work during the the fifth Christian crusade where he went to the Muslim sultan to offer a branch of peace while also preaching Christ to his demanding conversion. This imagery of Francis may be what I find most endearing about the saint.

If you want a well-written, well-researched biography on Francis that is easy reading this is a great choice.

Growing up and living the life of an out-of-control wild child, Saint Francis became one of the great church leaders in history. Robert West's book gives a good introduction to this interesting leader. West does a good job as a storyteller, yet this book seems more of a perspective on Francis' life rather than a biography. Living in the 12th and 13th centuries during the Crusades, outlining his desire to be a knight, having such a winsome and boisterous personality--it is no wonder that a scant two years after his death in 1226, Francis was canonized a saint. His preaching was influential and brought many other followers into what became the Franciscan order of monks--monks who took a vow of poverty and simplicity. At the time of Francis' death, he had 3,000 followers.

This is a nice sketch of Francis' life and a good beginning to a life aimed at living for Christ.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Booksneeze program for the purpose of reviewing.

I have been intrigued by Saint Francis for a while now, but I confess that I have very limited knowledge about the man himself. I've heard all of the legends, and I've heard environmentalists as well as social justice advocates in equal measure use him as their own patron saint. But I have never read any historical accounts or actual biographies of the man.

Naturally, I jumped at the chance to read the book from Thomas Nelson publishers as part of their Book Sneeze blogger review program. Because my knowledge was so limited, I greatly appreciate this text as the introductory work that it is.

The book, from Thomas Nelson's Christian Encounters series, sketches the life of Francis from his storied youth as a playboy, his encounter with God in a lowly, crumbling chapel on the outskirts of town, and the fraternal order that sprung up around him in response to his radical decision to renounce his previous lifestyle and embrace lady poverty.

The book is laid out in novel form, but relies on several trustworthy sources to reconstruct not only Francis' life, but also the cultural surroundings. The book is not meant to provide any kind of in-depth analysis about Francis' decisions or the brotherhood that sprang up surrounding him, so you will have to look elsewhere for such an approach. It simply presents a straightforward account of Francis and some of the church's reaction to him and his band.

The book only slightly deals with the legendary stories that are commonly associated with Francis- the miracles, his preaching to creatures in nature, and so forth. But for me, the historical accounts are amazing enough. Francis will forever be an important figure in Christianity. This book is a good introduction to his life and teaching.

From a wild youth to a beloved saint, Francis of Assisi had a very interesting life. Francis was the son of a cloth merchant in the 12th century. He lived a wild life and enjoy the wealth of his family. All of that changed after Francis spent a year as a prisoner of war and the illness that followed. Francis felt to call of God to rebuild his church. Francis began by literally rebuilding the church of San Damiano. From there he inspired thousands in his lifetime through his life of poverty and dedication to God's work. He fought for a simple life and peace in the world while preaching the gospel to anyone who would listen, including animals. Francis is one of the great men of the church, and his legacy has inspired generations of Christians to give all they have to serving God.


Robert West does a fantastic job of retelling the life of Francis. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to explore church history or even to someone who is seriously studying the life of Francis. West walks the fine line of writing to the everyday person and also writing for the student of Church history. While this is not an exhaustive biography, it is a great way to step into the history of the Church and the men and women who have made a great impact. This is a fantastic book and will inspire anyone who reads it to live more like Christ following the example of Saint Francis.

This book was provided to me for review by Thomas Nelson. All opinions are my own.

Writing a life of St. Francis presents both incentives and difficulties. Incentives in the sense that his legend is a rich source of material from which to draw upon; difficulties because much of this was recorded in an era of legend and few were closer to such status as the solider turned religious reformer from Assisi. Another problem to overcome is the story has been told many times by very able writers (including one as skilled at coining a phrase as G. K. Chesterton) and one wonders what could be added to previous efforts.

Robert West wades into these already well tread waters for Thomas Nelson's Christian Encounters series and does a workmanlike job of it in covering many of the vignettes that have long been part of the St. Francis story. He is hampered somewhat early by the paucity of material on the saint's early life and augments this by describing life in that period and projecting this somewhat onto his subject. Of course, with one so connected to the medieval period it is a gargantuan task trying to separate fact from pious legend but again West seems to navigate well and retells the basic outline of his life without venturing to far from history into hagiography.

Overall, a good introductory book on the life of one of the Church's most remarkable figures. It will perhaps dissappoint those seeking something more or less discerning concerning historical details but such is to be expected. While not as interesting as others in the Christian Encounters series, it certainly is a solid, though not spectacular, effort.

This book is an interesting new take on an old story. Robert West doesn't add a lot of myth like I read some books do when writing about St. Francis of Assisi. He adds a lot of details to this son of wealthy parents who became a poor monk who rejected the aristocracy and sometimes the leaders of the church. Interestingly enough, he aspired to be a knight earlier in his life. Though a rebel, Francis compared obedience to "a dead man who can be be moved to and fro without complaining and who does not care where he is taken." He would have friends like Clare who would follow the religious order he would form. He was commanded by the Pope to lie with the pigs and gleefully did just that! Later the humbled Pope would hear Francis' petition. His discipline may have been hard (prayer being more important than sleep) but he seemed much harder on himself than on others. Francis, a lover of animals, West makes clear, did not put them above God- "He viewed the entire panoply of creation as the collective offspring of God." The story ends in July 16, 1222, the day of St. Francis of Assisi's canonization.

Despite going to a Catholic grade school (I'm Protestant), I didn't know much about him beyond his founding the Franciscans and preaching to birds. St. Francis of Assisi is a Catholic saint that really appeals to Protestants. If nothing else, because he is so weird. Not your usual monastic monk at all. His story starts out with him coming to his home town after his conversion. Not from something else to Christianity, but from a dull, boring, ritualism to a real relationship to Christ. His friends and neighbors see him in ecstasy, excitedly skipping and joyfully singing made up hymns to Christ, and come to the obvious conclusion. He's nuts. And so welcome him by pelting him with mud clods and other things. A good place to start, since next to nothing is known of his childhood. However the author fills in the gap with lots of information about the local geography, history, manners and customs. "He probably went to school here and probably learned this or that'. But it is all interesting information about an era that most people - even history fans like me - don't know much about, so it isn't a waste. When we do get to actual details, we learn that Francis (born John, but his rich father changed his name as he didn't like having a son named for John the Baptist who was notoriously poor) is a likeable ner' do well, and playboy who wants to be a knight. Only to be captured in his first battle along with most of the army and imprisoned for a year. After his release, while recovering, he converts. Even sees a vision of Christ on the cross asking him to rebuild his church. Francis misunderstand and runs around plugging up holes in the roofs of churches in the neighborhood. He even impresses a girl named Clare (Later St. Clare) who becomes the closest thing to a girlfriend a monk can have. On their only "date" they have a banquet with all of his monks and all of her nuns as chaperones. She set up a female branch of the Franciscans (even being joined with her sisters and mother), though Francis insists that unlike the males who wander begging, they should live in a nunnery with two monks to beg for them. (They are girls, you know. What knight - especially a Knight of Christ, as St. Francis insisted on calling himself - would allow girls to go out begging?) He is so addicted to poverty as a virtue, that he never bathes, a stricture later Franciscans fortunately drop. When he first sees the pope to ask to be made an official order, the pope disgustedly advises him to go wallow in a pig pen. Francis does, surprising the pope with his humility and obedience. (Also the smell.) Despite what every one admits is an overemphasis on poverty, he is a remarkable orator and preacher, and retains his sense of humor and instant likeability. Even charming animals, birds and Muslims with his speeches. Admittedly when he runs off to convert Muslims - during a crusade no less - they think he is a nut case, but find him oddly likeable. Not likable enough to convert, though. Alas, his love of poverty and humility does him in on his return, For he had been too successful at causing a large revival in Italy, and getting over 5,000 monks. That many monks, his habit of giving others higher posts in the order than he had, and his wandering about caused the new leaders to soften the rules and make things easier. His inability to order, but only try to persuade, meant the friars minor got out of his control. Even the Pope admits only a saint could follow Francis' version of the rules. Then despite his humility, he is declared a saint in near record time.