RICHEST OF THE POOR

by Theodore Maynard ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 6, 1948

Here is another life of St. Francis of Assisi. As the author admits in his introduction, ""this is not a piece of original research."" It is distinctive in that the author, a well-known Catholic publicist, endeavors to present a balanced picture of St. Francis. On the one hand, he avoids the highly romanticized popularization of many Catholic writers in which only the pretty features of the Franciscan story are included and there is no attempt to distinguish between legend and established historical fact. On the other hand, the author is at pains to combat the point of view advanced by Sabatier in his great life of St. Francis and by Protestant authors following him, namely, that the Franciscan idea and the life of the church were irreconcilable, and that this was evident from the beginning in the conflicts between St. Francis and his followers and members of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. The author has produced many biographies of great figures in the Roman Catholic Church, including St. Francis Isvier, St. Vincent de Paul, Mother Cabrini, and, most recently, Rose Hawthorne Lathrop. He is also the author of a history of American Catholicism, of a number of volumes of poetry, essays and anthologies and one novel. He is rendering a distinct service to Catholic readers in opening up to them the riches of their spiritual heritage, and this new book should be welcomed by Catholic readers and read with interest by others concerned with the history of the Christian faith.

Pub Date: May 6, 1948

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1948

Categories: NONFICTION