HUAS28001 - Who was Francis of Assisi?

Course Description

Francis of Assisi is one of the most recognizable and famous persons of the Middle Ages—yet who he really was remains one of the greatest puzzles. Was he aiming to critique a corrupt and wealthy church? Or was he a supporter and reformer of the church? Was he an early ecumenist, seeking peace with Muslims? Or did he seek to convert all humans? Was Francis a genius of nature spirituality and a model of religious environmental thought? Or was Francis primarily motivated by poverty and service? Just as scholars have undertaken famous ‘searches for the historical Jesus,’ so medieval scholars have searched for the historical Francis. This course will put into focus the person of Francis of Assisi, his life and spirituality. The course will offer broader scale contextualization before focusing on Francis’ own words about himself, then, the early biographies of Francis by his admirers, and finally the course will address Francis’ legacies. We shall examine Bonaventure’s (a learned Franciscan leader) interpretation of Francis, the vision of the radical Francis (from the radical Franciscans, Fraticelli), and a contemporary interpretation of Francis as a model of environmental spirituality (Pope Francis).

Notes

Online registration deadline: Thursday, June 16 at 5 pm CT

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