Book review of "Interpreting Francis and Clare of Assisi: from the middle ages to the present" edited by Constant J. Mews and Claire Renkin, Broughton Publishing, Mulgrave, VIC, Australia.

Abstract

[Extract] This cross-disciplinary collection stems from a conference at the Yarra Theological Union in November 2009, one of several events held worldwide to celebrate the eighth centenary of the founding of the Franciscan Order. Meticulously and imaginatively printed and presented, the volume reaffirms the art of making fine books. The essays, together with a splendid gathering of coloured plates, trace the impact of Franciscan ideas from their beginnings into the contemporary world, encompassing countries as diverse as Italy, England, France, Ireland, Bohemia, Egypt, and Australia. The book reasserts Francis and Clare’s message of strenuous self-giving and simple living as a powerful response to twenty-first-century conflicts and disasters.