RELST 3570

Saint Francis

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2015-2016.

No figure in Christian history, short of Jesus himself, has inspired as much thought, art, and action as Francis of Assisi.  In this course we'll have the opportunity to trace this thirteenth-century preacher, poet, and visionary from his earliest appearances in print and in painting (e.g. Bonaventure, Giotto, the collection of stories know as the Little Flowers) to more recent engagements with his life and legend (especially in Italian film).  Along the way, we'll wrestle with the definition of sainthood, the status of creation, the importance of poverty, the imitation of Christ, and (above all) the paradoxes that Francis-that most canonical of all revolutionaries-embodies for Italian culture and for Christianity.

When Offered Fall.

Breadth Requirement (HB)
Distribution Category (CA-AS)

Comments Conducted in English.

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