Winner
of the 2003 Gründler Prize for the best book in Medieval Studies
awarded by The Medieval Institute
&
the 2002 John Gilmary Shea
Prize and the 2002 Howard R. Marraro Prize Awarded by the American
Catholic Historical Association
&
the 2002 Howard R. Marraro Prize of the American Catholic Historical Association
“Burr’s forte lies in the analysis of doctrinal statements.
He skilfully exposes the evolution of the often subtle debates between
the Spirituals and the majority of Franciscans who opposed them,
taking particular note of the deeper implications of points which
might have otherwise seemed academic. . . . In place of blood and
thunder, he offers measured reflectiveness, a wry style and disarming
wit. He has a gift for startlingly original similes, and he seems
incapable of writing a trite phrase. There has long been a need
for a good book on the Spiritual Franciscans; now we have one that
is authoratative and beautifully written.” —Robert E.
Lerner, The Times Literary Supplement
"The
fruit of a lifetime of careful study of its subject, this examination
of the Spirituals will not soon be surpassed. In fact, it is done
so well there may well be no need, or possibility, of surpassing
it." —Kevin Madigan, American Historical Review
“This is a rich and thought provoking study, the product
of great learning and of many years' reflection. It deserves
to be widely read.” —Nicholas Vincent, The Journal
of the Historical
Association
“What a pleasure to announce that with the publication of
this latest book, Burr’s sparkling, luminescent prose is
now poised to reach a broader public.”
“
The Spiritual Franciscans is a masterly book by a masterly writer
and a consummate scholar. Peter Olvi and the Spirituals could not
have wished for a more eloquent and faithful biographer.” —Louisa
A. Burnham, Speculum
“Because David Burr opens new questions about this period of
history, his lifetime study will open new doors for future scholars.
His careful examination of primary sources and all-embracing survey
of contemporary studies is liberating. It frees the reader from the
oversimplification that has long determined the historiography of
the early Franciscan movement.” –J. A. Wayne Hellman, The
Journal of Religion
“The central virtues of this book are its clarity, its
comprehensiveness, its closeness to the sources, and its measured
judgments. Scholars
familiar with the material will find new insights and neglected sources
such as a questio of Henry of Ghent on Joachim's
third age, or a petition from the city government of Narbonne of
1309 in behalf of Olivi. Students coming to the material for the
first time will find a treasury of instruction. Burr is one of America's
finest medievalists and is here at the pinnacle of his accomplishments.” -Robert
E. Lerner, TMR: The Medieval Review
When
Saint Francis of Assisi died in 1226, he left behind an order already
struggling to maintain its identity. As the Church called upon Franciscans
to be bishops, professors, and inquisitors, their style of life
began to change. Some in the order lamented this change and insisted
on observing the strict poverty practiced by Francis himself. Others
were more open to compromise. Over time, this division evolved into
a genuine rift, as those who argued for strict poverty were marginalized
within the order. In this book, David Burr offers the first comprehensive history
of the so-called Spiritual Franciscans, a protest movement within
the Franciscan order. Burr shows that the movement existed more
or less as a loyal opposition in the late thirteenth century, but
by 1318 Pope John XXII and leaders of the order had combined to
force it beyond the boundaries of legitimacy. At that point the
loyal opposition turned into a heretical movement and recalcitrant
friars were sent to the stake.
Although much has been written about individual Spiritual Franciscan
leaders, there has been no general history of the movement since
1932. Few people are equipped to tackle the voluminous documentary
record and digest the sheer mass of research generated by Franciscan
scholars in the last century. Burr, one of the world's leading authorities
on the Franciscans, has given us a book that will define the field
for years to come.
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