Customer Reviews

The Saint and the Sultan: The Crusades, Islam, and Francis of Assisi's Mission of Peace

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book captivated my sense of history and spirituality. Mr. Moses writes clearly, concisely and puts into context the times and forces that created one of the most unique individuals of his age or any age where war and money drive people's behavior. Moses, in his preface, tells us that perhaps there are lessons for us to learn from this extraordinary man and his quest for peace. Today, as we wage two wars and focus on our economic well-being, Moses' book provides us with another perspective, another way for us to think and live. This is a must-read.

I visited Assisi while in Italy and found it a very moving experience. To see where St. Francis lived was incredible.Paul's book tells a story about St. Francis that I had never heard.He writes in a way that kept me fascinated throughout the entire book. Well done!

Moses has done an impressive job researching widely scattered souurces. I thoroughly enjoyed the read but as far as using it for research the lack of citations IN THE TEXT virtually erases his careful work. One star, in vain hope Amazon will notice and correct this massive blunder. The serious reader would be better off getting the printed version.

In the midst of war, Francis goes unarmed to meet the enemy leader. In a time when Muslims were demonized, Francis has an extended dialogue with the Sultan. But the real story got lost in the midst of politics - the Crusades and heresy allegations. The author does a marvelous job of telling the real story and then showing how and why it was covered up. He also gives a sympathetic - yet realistic - portrait of the Sultan.

It gave me an ever greater appreciation of St. Francis and his call to peacemaking. Francis wasn't a plastic saint for birdbaths. He was a real live follower of Christ, not afraid to tell the Crusaders that their effort was in vain and open enough to meet the enemy. A true peacemaker.

It's a great book to help us get a better grasp of what Christian-Muslim relations could be.

Truly a wonderful book, and timely -- an extraordinary example of Christian-Muslim dialogue. It also frees St Francis from his long captivity as the patron saint of bird baths.

This book was very informative and well written. There was a good deal of historical information regarding the crusades. After that the interaction of
this universally loved saint and the sultan was discussed. I enjoyed it thoroughly

I am a Franciscan friar who follows in the footprints of St. Francis of Assisi. This book was highly recommended to me by one of my Franciscan brothers who himself is a inspirational witness for peace and justice in our world. He is presently serving time in prison for his courageous stand against war and injustice. He told me this book was incredibly inspirational for him during this time of serving his sentence. This Friar is thought by many people today as a living witness of St. Francis as a herald of peace. He is a living example of this message of Francis' call to peace.

As a Secular Franciscan, the book was thrilling to read. It explained so much more than anything I had read about this before. Wish there was more!

Mr. Moses presents the information in the book as a correction for what he says are inacurrate accounts of St. Francis which had been presented by the Church during the era of the cursades. I do believe that in all probability, the early historical accounts of St. Francis did add a lot of folklure about the saint and may not be as accurate an account as was reality. However, I get the impresseion that Mr. Moses's attempt to paint the Sultan as a Muslum saint he most probably is guilty of the same inaccuracies as he accuses Bartholameau and the Church of doing for St. Francis. I also feel that Mr. Moses has used this account to promote his own agenda in promotion of Islam. He mentions, over and over the autrocities that occurred during the heat of battle and the looting of the Christians within the Muslum communities but the same does not mention autrocities that were levied upon the Christian communities that the Muslum armies invaded. Neither does he discuss the fact that the original cause of the Crusades was in response to assist Christians who were being slaughtered by Muslums in an attempt of Islam to convert the world and to slaughter the infidel. I believe there is equal guilt on both sides. The Chruch was indeed in a state of shame during these years and the Church has readily admitted to this. Additionally, the Chruch has put corrections into place that prevents it from engaging in this type of shameful behavior. I was sorely disappointed in this book.