"Francis of Assisi: Lost Between Myth and History"
Augustine Thompson, O.P.Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley
Cosponsored by the Department of History and the Medieval Studies Workshop
Among the most beloved of saints, Francis of Assisi is celebrated for his dedication to poverty, his love of nature, and his desire to follow perfectly the teachings and example of Christ. His followers compiled numerous, often legendary, accounts. The man and his own concerns seem lost to view. Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P. will speak on the “Quest for the Historical Francis” and attempt to portray beyond the legends the man who was Francis of Assisi.
Augustine Thompson, O.P., is Professor of History at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California. He has taught in the religious studies department of the University of Oregon and the department of Religious Studies and History at the University of Virginia. His most recent books are Francis of Assisi: A New Biography and Cities of God: The Religion of the Italian Communes, 1125-1325.
