Take solace in the Franciscans' powerful faith with one of the world's leading experts on St. Francis of Assisi.
St. Francis experienced a series of religious conversions after enduring a year as a prisoner of war. It is natural, then, that the Franciscans see ministry as a journey of change and conversion. This compelling audio course, presented by Br. William Short, reveals in stunning detail the transformational nature of Franciscan theology.
Br. Short has dedicated his life's work to making the Franciscan tradition accessible. As he shows, the example of St. Francis communicates a simple message of making peace amid conflict, a message still sorely needed in today's society.
Throughout 7 engaging lectures originally produced for Franciscan ministries, you'll learn what defines the Franciscan view: a focus on the individual, a championing of interdependence, and a dedication to living with open hands.
You'll also spend time with St. Clare of Assisi, another remarkable leader. Ready to listen to the newest and the youngest members of the community, she serves by performing humble tasks. As she demonstrates, Franciscans believe in serving as we can, with what we have, always maintaining the priority of personal relationships with those we serve.
Don't miss this opportunity to take a spiritual journey with the Franciscans-it is a balm for the weary soul.
This course is part of the Learn25 collection.
For centuries, Franciscan spirituality has brought Christians a fresh perspective on Christ with its simple and heartfelt approach. Now you can follow the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi in this special retreat experience with gifted Franciscan Br. Bill Short, O.F.M., as your guide.
In this series of 12 retreat sessions, you will have the opportunity to reflect on your own spiritual journey with insights from the writings of Francis and Clare of Assisi.
Francis shows us how to approach God as love, a reality that is based in the heart's affections more than the mind's ideas. The dynamic relationship of the Persons of the Holy Trinity provides the model for our lives, allowing us to develop our emotional intelligence as we grow in union with God.
Our humanity itself is modeled on Christ, and thus gives us a very good image of who God is. The limitations of our life, of time and space, and even of suffering and death, can connect us with God because of the Beloved Son Jesus.
By listening to these 12 retreat topics, you will have the inspiration of Francis and Clare of Assisi to accompany you in your journey, following the footprints of Christ in this world.
This course is part of the Learn25 collection. This course includes a free PDF prayer and reflection guide prepared by your professor and course producer.
Taught by an award-winning teacher and leading Franciscan scholar, this inspiring course is a must-have for thoughtful Christians.
Far from being a relic of the Middle Ages, Franciscan spirituality remains a growing and vital movement worldwide. Its influence has shaped many of the most popular Catholic devotions, from the Stations of the Cross to Eucharistic Adoration. Now, The Spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi invites you to learn from the Franciscan tradition of living the gospel.
Under the guidance of Br. William Short, O. F. M., S. T. D., from the Franciscan School of Theology, you will look at the spiritual writings of St. Francis and his followers, as well as how they put their beliefs into practice. Br. Short’s powerful yet accessible lectures deliver you the heart of the treasures from this “little poor man of Assisi. ”
In this 12-lecture course, you will explore St. Francis’s spiritual practices, life of prayer, and meditations on the Crucified Christ. You will also reflect on profound questions posed by the Franciscan tradition. Why does Francis consider joy a good defense against the influence of evil? How does the Incarnation of the Word relate to creation? What can the Gospel reveal about the “poverty of God”?
You will then look at the contributions of St. Clare of Assisi, St. Bonaventure, St. Anthony of Padua, and Bl. John Duns Scotus. Finally, you will explore the modern-day legacy of St. Francis.
By exploring the rich Franciscan spiritual tradition, you will encounter Christ at the heart of the world. This is the gift of St. Francis: “the treasure of a poor man.”
Taught by one of the leading experts on Franciscan spirituality, this is the course on St. Bonaventure that you have always wanted.
In the fall of 1259, the Franciscan theologian St. Bonaventure traveled from his home in Paris to the mountain of La Verna in Tuscany for a retreat. There, he meditated on the experience St. Francis had on that same mountain, where he experienced a profound vision and the stigmata.
On his retreat, Bonaventure discovered that St. Francis was a model for how a person comes to union with God in prayer. The result of this insight was the outline of a book that soon became a classic of Catholic spiritual reading: The Soul’s Journey into God. Now you too can discover the inspiring model of St. Francis as outlined by St. Bonaventure.
Bonaventure talks about this spiritual journey as taking place in six steps, like the six days of creation. On each step of the journey he explores a new dimension of our relationship with God. Bonaventure presents us with a mystical theology, leading us step-by-step from reflection on the world around us, through reflection on our inner world as human beings, toward the world above us, the divine life of the Holy Trinity.
Bonaventure shows us Christ as the beginning of this journey, its end, and the Way that connects them. Join St. Bonaventure on this powerful journey today. You will cherish this experience.
St. Francis of Assisi has been for decades been depicted in illustrations, paintings, and even garden bird baths as a saint with a love for animals.
But he is not the only Christian saint associated with animals. Early Christian martyrs, the Desert Fathers of Egypt, monks and hermits from Ireland to Italy, Belgian nuns and saintly French noblemen all have fascinating accounts of animals as part of their legends. The tendency is to either naively accept all these accounts at face value, or dismiss them outright as fables. However, neither approach is adequate. In this series of lectures you will approach these stories as hagiography, that is, stories of the saints intended to edify, to communicate a spiritual meaning to their audience.
These stories of saints and animals in this course are designed to offer people today an idea of how earlier Christian generations understood their fellow creatures as significant, communicating important messages of their Creator.
You are no doubt familiar with the lives of St. Francis and St. Clare. You have probably experienced Franciscan spirituality first hand. But, until now, the extraordinary Franciscan Intellectual Tradition has been little discussed.
Through this unique 12-talk series with one of the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition's greatest living experts, you will experience powerful new insights and understanding.
Francis himself was a writer, poet, musician and devout reader of Scripture who demonstrated deep Biblical and theological insight. St. Clare of Assisi also communicated a rich contemplative experience of Christ.
In the following generations, Franciscans developed the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition. Its outstanding figures include St. Anthony of Padua, St. Bonaventure, and Bl. John Duns Scotus. You will meet other figures: Friar Roger Bacon, an Oxford scientist; Bl. Ramon Lull, a devout layman; Bl. Angela of Foligno, whose mystical writings shaped generations of theologians; and the politically active poet, widower and friar, Jacopone da Todi, who composed some of his most beautiful poems about Christ while imprisoned by a pope.
Explore the Franciscan view of Christ as the center of all creation, and of what the Incarnate Word reveals about life in the Holy Trinity. The Blessed Virgin introduces us to the Franciscan reflection on the human person. Divine and human freedom are explored. Franciscan contributions to the study of Scripture will receive special attention. You will glimpse the inspiration that Francis gave to artists, musicians, novelists, and poets across the centuries, and explore some contemporary institutions that carry forward the Franciscan Tradition he founded eight centuries ago.
What does it mean to be an imitator of Christ?
Find out by exploring the life and legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi and the movements he inspired with one of the world's leading Franciscan experts as your guide.
From the humble backyard birdbath to the splendor of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, images of this Italian cloth merchant's son can be found almost anywhere. His followers now number nearly one million in more than 96 countries, lay and religious, men and women.
But who was St. Francis? Why do so many of us find him such an attractive Christian and human figure? What is fact and what is fiction about his life, his teaching, and his impact on global society? Learn the remarkable story behind the Franciscan movement.
Now you can trace the amazing story of the lives of Saint Francis and Saint Clare with this exciting new 24-lecture series by renowned Franciscan scholar Brother William Short, former president of the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley.
Whether you have studied Francis for a lifetime or you are only casually acquainted with this amazing saint, we guarantee you will treasure this unique course.
