Clare of Assisi: The Lady provides new translations of Clares writings and related primary sources, revised and new introductions from earlier editions, as well as previously unpublished documents to chronicle the life of Saint Clare. The first section presents Clares Letters, Testament, and Blessing. The second section includes the papal texts that prompted Clare to write her own Form of Life. The third section contains biographical writings about Clare beginning with Cardinal Hugolinos 1220 letter and ending with the Legend of Saint Clare. The book concludes with a dossier of documents, many translated into English for the first time, from the papacies of Honorius III, Gregory IX, and Innocent IV.

An annotated translation of Bonaventure’s Itinerarium mentis in Deum presenting both the Latin text side-by-side with a new English translation which attempts to avoid the use of Latin cognates while remaining critically faithful to Bonaventure’s text. Using endnotes to open the text, Regis Armstrong opens each chapter from the perspective of historical theology referring the reader to authors prior to Bonaventure, e.g. Augustine, the Victorines, Philip the Chancellor, Avicenna, as well as first-and-second-generation Franciscan authors. While maintaining Bonaventure’s architectonic approach, Armstrong studies each chapter as Bonaventure does by focusing on its unique character, e.g. by means of cosmology, epistemology, biblical theology, mystical theology. In a same way, the translator attempts to explain his translation of certain cognates into Anglo-Saxon English by citing contemporary linguistic tools, e.g., Brepolis Latin Texts.

Within two years after the death of Francis of Assisi, Thomas of Celano composed The Life of Saint Francis of Assisi, a portrait of the newly canonized Umbrian a saint who easily met all the criteria needed for canonization and walked in the footsteps of Martin, Benedict, Bernard, Malachy, and so many others. Less than twenty years later, Thomas used his literary skills once more. In many ways, The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul, his second portrait of Francis, exceeded his first as the friar unleashed his poetic powers to capture the wonder and especially the uniqueness of the saints life and vision. Hardly had this work become known, when Thomas composed a comprehensive, orderly view of Franciss miracles, The Treatise on the Miracles. The three classic works appear here for the first time in one volume. Thomas of Celano's early literary portraits of Francis bring us into intimate contact with the Poor Man of Assisi. These works exhibit that rare combination of charm and profundity. Every lover of Francis will treasure this volume. Lawrence S. Cunningham John A. O'Brien Professor of Theology The University of Notre Dame