Bibliograph

Setting the world on fire, the brief, astonishing life of St. Catherine of Siena, Shelley Emling

Type

Label

Setting the world on fire, the brief, astonishing life of St. Catherine of Siena, Shelley Emling

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-220) and index

resource.biographical

individual biography

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Setting the world on fire

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

945670200

Responsibility statement

Shelley Emling

Sub title

the brief, astonishing life of St. Catherine of Siena

Summary

"One of only two patron saints of Italy, the other being St. Francis of Assisi, St. Catherine was ahead of her time. As a political powerhouse in late 14th century Europe, a time of war, social unrest and one of the worst natural disasters of all time--the plague--she worked for peace between Christians while campaigning for a holy crusade against Muslims. She was illiterate but grew into a great writer by dictating to assistants. She was frail and punished herself mercilessly, often starving herself, while offering moral guidance and inspiration to kings, queens, and popes. It's easy to see why feminists through the years have sought to claim the patronage of St. Catherine. From her refusal to marry to her assertion that her physical appearance was of no importance, the famous Saint is ripe for modern interpretation. She was a peacemaker during Siena's revolution of 1368, sometimes addressing thousands of people in squares and streets; she convinced Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy to Rome at a time when the Catholic Church was unraveling. How did this girl, the second-youngest of 25 children of a middle-class dyer, grow to become one of the most beloved spiritual figures of all time, a theological giant to rank alongside the likes of Thomas Aquinas? In Setting the World on Fire, Emling gives an intimate portrayal of this fascinating and revolutionary woman"--provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

Chronology -- A Bright Little Girl -- A First Glimpse of Christ -- Kiss Me with a Kiss of Your Mouth -- Just What the Times Needed -- Fighting off Threats -- Bearing the Wounds of Christ -- The Spilling of Blood -- The Move to Rome -- Brilliant Work -- A Turn for the Worse -- Spiritual Anxieties -- The End of a Saintly Experience -- Epilogue

Classification