The Gospels were a key focus in the life and ministry of St. Francis of Assisi. He modeled his life on the life of Jesus Christ, and encouraged his followers to do the same. For Francis, the Gospels were inspiration, guidance, and a rich source of prayer.

In this lively book by noted Scripture scholar Fr. Hilarion Kistner, the Gospels are broken open to blend the teachings of Jesus and Francis in a unique way. In so doing, Kistner looks at four main themes:

• Francis and his love for the Gospel
• the movement of the Spirit through the Gospels
• the heart of the Gospels
• how Francis lived in the Gospel light

The content will be readily grasped by adults with even a minimal understanding of Scripture, and the technique of looking at the gospels from Francis’s perspective give these texts a down-to-earth quality that will resonate with readers.

The Gospels According to St. Francis is a spirituality resource that is appropriate for Catholics as well as those of other faiths. The book can be used in small groups and parish faith formation for teens and adults.

The Gospels were a key focus in the life and ministry of St. Francis of Assisi. He modeled his life on the life of Jesus Christ, and encouraged his followers to do the same. For Francis, the Gospels were inspiration, guidance, and a rich source of prayer.

In this lively book by noted Scripture scholar Fr. Hilarion Kistner, the Gospels are broken open to blend the teachings of Jesus and Francis in a unique way. In so doing, Kistner looks at four main themes:

• Francis and his love for the Gospel
• the movement of the Spirit through the Gospels
• the heart of the Gospels
• how Francis lived in the Gospel light

The content will be readily grasped by adults with even a minimal understanding of Scripture, and the technique of looking at the gospels from Francis’s perspective give these texts a down to earth quality that will resonate with readers.

The Gospels According to St. Francis is a spirituality resource that is appropriate for Catholics as well as those of others faiths. The book can be used in small groups and parish faith formation for teens and adults.

From the Foreword by Kallistos Ware, Bishop of Diokleia—

Isaac the Syrian, also called Isaac of Nineveh, lived and wrote during "the golden age of Syriac Christian literature" in the seventh century. Cut off by language and politics from the Churches of the Roman Empire and branded "Nestorian," the Church of the East produced in isolation a rich theological literature which is only now becoming known to outsiders. Yet over the centuries and in all parts of Christendom, Isaac's works have been read and recommended as unquestionably orthodox.

Now, at last, to my great delight, we have at our disposal a single book in English, offering us a balanced and comprehensive overview of Isaac's life, background and teaching. Wisely, Fr. Hilarion Alfeyev has allowed Isaac to speak for himself. The book is full of well-chosen quotations, in which Isaac's true voice can be heard.

Saint Isaac of Syria was an ascetic, a mountain solitary, but his writings are universal in scope. They are addressed not just to the desert but to the city, not just to monastics but to all the baptized. With sharp vividness he speaks about themes relevant to every Christian: about repentance and humility, about prayer in its many forms, both outer and inner, about solitude and community, about silence, wonder, and ecstasy. Along with the emphasis that he places upon "luminous love"—to use his own phrase—two things above all mark his spiritual theology: his sense of God as living mystery; and his warm devotion to the Saviour Christ.