tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post5303267096344079915..comments2024-02-28T12:04:11.837-08:00Comments on Jesus in Love Blog: Brother Elias: Soulmate to Saint Francis of Assisi?Kittredge Cherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02617858676733169316noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post-70654383032380386882016-05-14T20:34:50.967-07:002016-05-14T20:34:50.967-07:00With 800 years of writers making the same point as...With 800 years of writers making the same point as above, it did not seem necessary to revisit it. However, if readers want to explore that line of thought, they can read Jon Sweeney's newly published book, “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594716013/?tag=jesusinloveor-20" rel="nofollow"> The Enthusiast: How the Best Friend of Francis of Assisi Almost Destroyed What He Started</a>.” <br /><br />However, given both St. Francis & St. Clare's strong advocation of Brother Elias, (a point which Sweeney readily concedes), we would be left with the unsatisfactory conclusion that they were poor judges of character, a trait incompatible with founding multiple, new religious communities. In his book, Sweeney is left concluding that "a close childhood familiarity between Francis and Elias would go a long way toward explaining the strange intimacies and complications in their relationship later as men." (p. 28) <br /><br />Sweeney appears to lack imagination when trying to explain Francis and Elias' "intimacies" with each other, seemingly forgetting that Francis was able to publicly disavow his childhood, birth family and its attachments. Childhood nostalgia did not seem to be a motivating force for him. Readers would do well to read Giulia Barone's article, "Brother Elias Revisited" (Greyfriars Review, Vol. 13; 1999) to obtain a more balanced portrait of Elias, set in an historical context and explaining later factions need to rewrite Elias' story and character according to their own political agendas.Kevin Elphickhttps://www.facebook.com/kevin.elphick.5noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post-22533129075714574832016-05-07T18:36:17.244-07:002016-05-07T18:36:17.244-07:00I can't help thinking this article is under wr...I can't help thinking this article is under written. It makes no mention of Elias's divisive influence on the Franciscan order. He seems to have had a gift for annoying people. Many of Francis early followers felt that Elias perverted Francis original vision by abandoning the early Franciscans commitment to absolute poverty and turning the Franciscan order into something far less radical. <br />He was such an inveterate political schemer that he betrayed the Pope by joining his enemy and riding to war with the Holy Roman Emperor. He was actually deposed as leader of the order and excommunicated. He, however was received back into the church before he died. <br />I think this controversial life was the most likely reason that Bonaventure airbrushed him out of the official life of Francis.<br />Puppets in a ragehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04528718096034265115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post-73629394871651323202013-10-07T14:23:33.346-07:002013-10-07T14:23:33.346-07:00Well, now I can call you Eric Francis! I was touc...Well, now I can call you Eric Francis! I was touched by your comment. I didn’t know that you once wanted to be a Franciscan… and were turned down. I’m sure Francis himself would have welcomed you. <br /><br />Maggid, I am happy to serve as your teacher here. Thank you for taking time to leave a comment.<br />Kittredge Cherryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02617858676733169316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post-5917157950237814292013-10-03T10:32:43.479-07:002013-10-03T10:32:43.479-07:00I find this article very interesting. For as long...I find this article very interesting. For as long as I can remember, I have found myself drawn to Francis. I took the name Francis as my confirmation name when I was 12.<br /><br />At one time in my life, I applied to join the Franciscan Order, and part of me still mourns not being accepted.<br /><br />I haven't read anything about him in over 20 years, though at one time I think I probably owned 7 or 8 different books on his life. <br /><br />Of course, none of those books so much as hinted at this side of Francis.<br /><br />And yet, as I read this, it is of no surprise to me. <br />erichttp://www.scottneric.com/abteric.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29680163.post-25538825292992698512013-10-03T10:19:20.636-07:002013-10-03T10:19:20.636-07:00I am happy to learn about this -
Thank you for ta...I am happy to learn about this - <br />Thank you for taking time to share - to teach - you've given me some new depth.<br /><br />Happy Fall!Maggidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00857424986925369274noreply@blogger.com