Research Catalog

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

Title
Setting the world on fire : the brief, astonishing life of St. Catherine of Siena / Shelley Emling.
Author
Emling, Shelley.
Publication
New York : St. Martin's Press, 2016.
Supplementary Content
Cover image

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StatusFormatAccessCall NumberItem Location
TextUse in library JFD 16-1963Schwarzman Building - Main Reading Room 315

Details

Description
xxi, 226 pages : illustrations; 22 cm
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"--
Subjects
Bibliography (note)
  • Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-220) and index.
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.
Call Number
JFD 16-1963
ISBN
  • 9781137279804
  • 113727980X
LCCN
2015033952
OCLC
2015033952
Author
Emling, Shelley.
Title
Setting the world on fire : the brief, astonishing life of St. Catherine of Siena / Shelley Emling.
Publisher
New York : St. Martin's Press, 2016.
Edition
First edition.
Type of Content
text
Type of Medium
unmediated
Type of Carrier
volume
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-220) and index.
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Cover image
Research Call Number
JFD 16-1963
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