A Study Guide for G.K. Chesterton’s Saint Francis of Assisi

In G.K. Chesterton’s Saint Francis of Assisi, we discover a man of paradox, bearing great resemblance to his biographer. We see a man in love with God and all creation, singing in the woods, calming the wild wolf, preaching to the birds and squirrels. Yet we see this same man beating his body, rolling in the snow to freeze burning desires, praying and fasting until illness, and then receiving the puzzling gift of the stigmata. How can we make sense of Francis? By reading Chesterton’s biography. Chesterton understood the man of Assisi as few other biographers did. This study guide to Chesterton’s biography of St. Francis has helped many learn more about St. Francis: from a Catholic school, to a parish book club, to local Chesterton clubs, to homeschoolers, to individuals studying on their own. All share an interest in digging deeper into the words of G.K. Chesterton, and finding out more about this amazing saint whom Chesterton understood so insightfully.To use this study guide, you will need a copy of Chesterton’s biography of St. Francis. Electronic versions are available for as little as 99 cents.

Nancy Carpentier Brown is a wife and homeschooling mother. Brown works as the Media Manager for The American Chesterton Society, managing the Facebook Fan Page, Twitter and YouTube channel, as well as blogging at chesterton.org. In addition, she creates and hosts the podcast Uncommon Sense: The Official Podcast of the American Chesterton Society. Mrs. Brown is also a regular columnist for Gilbert Magazine, and has written for numerous other publications. She is on the editorial board of mater et magister, the Catholic Homeschooling Magazine. Brown’s books include The Father Brown Reader: Stories from Chesterton, The Father Brown Reader 2: More Stories from Chesterton, and The Blue Cross Study Edition, published by Hillside Education; and The Mystery of Harry Potter: A Catholic Family Guide, published by Our Sunday Visitor. Brown is the winner of the Kilby Research Grant for her work on the upcoming biography of Frances A. Chesterton, wife of G.K. Chesterton, as well as a collection of Frances Chesterton’s complete known plays and poems. http: //www.twitter.com/amchestertonsoc http: //www.youtube.com/AmCHESTERTONsoc http: //www.facebook.com/AmericanChestertonSociety http: //www.facebook.com/UncommonSensePodcast uncommonsensepodcast@gmail.com