St. Francis of Assisi: A Biography

Englebert's classic biography is not a fictionalized version of the little saint's life, but a good, historically accurate portrait. This is one of the outstanding Francis biographies of the past century, placing the little saint's life in historical and socio-political context as few of his biographers have done. The writing may sometimes seem a little dry, but the content is full of life.I served as provincial formation director for the Anglican Third Order Franciscans in the American Province and this is a book I put on the reading list for all novices. Now I'm formation director for my SFO fraternity (Catholic secular Franciscans) and I use it in our initial formation classes and also highly recommend it all. Besides, who could resist a name like Omer Englebert? Pax et bonum!

Father Engelbert has blessed us with a thoroughly delightful account of the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Accounts of the saints often take one of two extremes. The first is to give credence to all legends as if they are straight historical fact and not meant to convey a certain truth about the saint and his/her love of God. The second is to totally discount all data that cannot be scientifically proven to demonstrate some facet of the saint's life. Such accounts usually end up having little to do with the saint's faith and a lot to do with what was not important to that saint (i.e., politics).Father Engelbert takes the middle road, and the result is truly fantastic. Saint Francis comes alive, and he takes life in this account because his love of God is so beautifully set forth. Francis, of all men on earth, lived the Gospel, and I'm so thankful that the rest of us have him as an example to follow.This biography is very readable. I was most impressed with the fact that Father Engelbert kept editorializing to a minimum and let the record speak for itself in most instances. As noted above, fact and legend are interwoven wonderfully to present a historical account of a great saint's walk with God and the growth of the word's largest religious order, the Friars Minor.I read this book as part of my formation for the Secular Franciscan Order, but I recommend it to anyone who wants to see how love of God should be expressed in the world. Purchase this book and be edified by the life of Brother Francis.

Omer Englebert is one of few contemporary biographers of Francis of Assisi whose presentation is neither excessively romantic nor squeezed desperately into a late 20th century mould (of pure social justice and ecology). His treatment of Francis's life is accurate and balanced, often warm and humourous, and he presents a clear picture of the social, religious and political conditions of Francis's time and place. This is the best recent biography of Francis which I have seen - highly recommended.

This book, originally written in French, removes the many layers of dirt and varnish that have obscured this man. The author paints a very realistic view of this humble monk with humorous vignettes of his fellow disciples. The mystical aspect of Francesco's, overly romanticized life, is put into proper perspective. It is a very refreshing look at a humble servant of God.

The author not only provides a spiritual insight into St. Francis' life but also details the many historical facts of his life. The book also has an excellent index for researching facts about St. Francis. Our Secular Franciscan Fraternity distributes this book to people inquiring into the Secular Franciscan Order