Francis of Assisi

Francis of Assisi

Performing the Gospel Life

Lawrence S. Cunningham

Cunningham presents the life of Francis as one that is deeply committed to living the Christian life as a member of the Catholic Church. This is not to be exclusive, but Cunningham argues that one must understand Francis within this context to grasp what he did do that challenged structures both within and outside the Church.

The fleetingness of the title is quickly apparent, because Francis' life exhibits the total commitment Francis had to following the life of Jesus.

The chapters give a look at the life of the Francis before his conversion experiences and then at the Francis who was among many brothers in a newly founded religious order. Finally, Cunningham has a chapter called "Francis Reconsidered" which challenges the reader to rethink the image of Francis and decide whether or not that fits with the material found in the previous chapters.

This is a very good book if one is looking for a good sense of Francis' life without the technical citations and references which can make a book daunting to some. I would highly recommend this book because of the breathe in which it asks one to rethink Francis and to see his life as a member of the Body of Christ challenging the society in which he lived.