Life of St. Francis of Assisi

Paul Sabatier's biography of the revered St. Francis of Assisi is written with passion and detail, examining and drawing upon many writings and texts concerning the great friar's life.

In Life of St. Francis of Assisi we find a superbly researched account of the venerated saint. Himself a clergyman, Paul Sabatier was able to access the archives of the Franciscan monastic order together with diplomatic accounts of Francis and his activities. Writings attributed to St. Francis himself are also included, as are miscellaneous chronicles from elsewhere. 

Sabatier is keen to identify sources which are legendary or mythic, and those attributed directly to authors. Voracious in his examinations, even obscure fragments concerning the saint's life come into purview. Moreover, this edition contains all the original notes appended at the conclusion of each respective chapter. 

The result of the author's efforts is a thorough and well-informed record of St. Francis from his earliest youth through his rise to prominence in the early 13th century, to his death in 1226. Together with an examination of his personality, Sabatier provides an extensive account of the church as it was at the time, with particular attention given to Pope Innocent III.  

Altogether a superb and intensive study of the Medieval documents, this biography manages to relate the life of St. Francis in a lively and readable manner. Well-received but controversial, the book was placed on a forbidden books list by the Catholic church, who found its retelling unreliable. Sabatier himself however went on to scholarly success, becoming a Professor of Theology in the University of Strasbourg.