![]() ![]() The Franciscan vision of a world where there were no rich or poor reflected less the New Testament and more Francis’ love of traditional festivals where the poor were kings while the rich dressed in rags. Instead Vauchez argues that Francis’ conversion was an evolution of beliefs he already held. The result of Vauchez’s approach is that it draws a refreshingly complex portrait of one of Catholicism’s most familiar figures.ĭescribing Francis’ conversion from upper-middle class knight to the poor man of Assisi, Vauchez qualifies the trope of Francis’ radical rejection of wealth and the secular world. ![]() Vauchez corrects these past errors by demonstrating that Francis, along with his fellow friars, crafted the Franciscan message for a wide range of audiences. Unfortunately, the result is not a man or even a saint, but a one-dimensional figure existing outside of history. In Francis of Assisi: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Saint, André Vauchez argues that previous attempts to find the “real” Francis often begin with a version of the saint in mind and then go hunting for evidence to prove that version correct. ![]() With so many Francis of Assisis, anyone can pick a favorite. Francis the ecologist, Francis the stigmatic, Francis the peace activist, Francis the crusader. ![]()
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