The Saint and the Sultan

November 1, 2009
Moses (journalism, Brooklyn Coll.) tells the little-known story of St. Francis of Assisi's peace mission in 1219 to the Muslim court of the Egyptian sultan Malik al-Kamil. The saint "had dreamed of converting a Muslim leader to bring peace between Christianity and Islam." For his part, the sultan perhaps received Francis because he sought to end the conflict between the Crusaders and his land or perhaps because "they wished to become Saracens." Francis did not convert the sultan, but neither was the sultan able to sway the saint. Admittedly, few reliable details of this meeting survive. But the meaning of the exchange has significant implications for the present, says Moses: violence should not be met with violence, and peace can be achieved through goodness. VERDICT While a worthy topic that indeed covers some previously overlooked Franciscan history, perchance this lends itself more readily to a thorough article than a book-length discussion as it is replete with speculation and inference as well as plenty of already-known Franciscan hagiography. Only for the most ardent Franciscophiles.Sandra Collins, Byzantine Catholic Seminary Lib., Pittsburgh

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