Since the election of the new pope and assuming the name of “Francis
I;” books written about Saint Francis suddenly burst into the fore with some
making the headlines while others coming second and down the line. He lived so
far back in our time; very little do we know of the man and the saint but wow…he
did live in very interesting times and the new pope made a right a choice if
only to resurrect the saint’s life so relevant in our time.
Book Description
Release date: September
29, 2009
An intriguing examination of the extraordinary–and little known
meeting between St. Francis of Assisi and Islamic leader Sultan Malik Al-Kamil
that has strong resonance in today's divided world.
For many of us, St. Francis of Assisi is known as a poor monk and a lover of
animals. However, these images are sadly incomplete, because they ignore an
equally important and more challenging aspect of his life -- his unwavering
commitment to seeking peace. In The Saint and the Sultan, Paul
Moses recovers Francis' s message of peace through the largely forgotten story
of his daring mission to end the crusades.
In 1219, as the Fifth Crusade was being fought, Francis crossed enemy lines to
gain an audience with Malik al-Kamil, the Sultan of Egypt. The two talked of war
and peace and faith and when Francis returned home, he proposed that his Order
of the Friars Minor live peaceably among the followers of Islam–a revolutionary
call at a moment when Christendom pinned its hopes for converting Muslims on
the battlefield.
The Saint and the Sultan captures the lives of St. Francis and
Sultan al-Kamil and illuminates the political intrigue and religious fervor of
their time. In the process, it reveals a startlingly timely story of
interfaith conflict, war, and the search for peace. More than simply a dramatic
adventure, though it does not lack for colorful saints and sinners, loyalty and
betrayal, and thrilling Crusade narrative, The Saint and the
Sultan brings to life an episode of deep relevance for all who seek to
find peace between the West and the Islamic world.
Winner of the 2010 Catholic Press Association Book Award for History
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