469 - St. Francis of Assisi and Nature: Tradition and Innovation in Western Christian Attitudes toward the Environment

St. Francis of Assisi and Nature: Tradition and Innovation in Western Christian Attitudes toward the Environment
By Roger D. Sorrell
London, Oxford Univ. Press, 1988. 204 pp. $24.95.

The ecological crisis deepens. Christians who invoke Francis' nature mysticism without understanding his history have indulged in too easy a response to Lynn White's twenty year old challenge to reorient theology and spirituality in favour of nature. This book, a serious study of Francis' spirituality, deepens the challenge. In a style that is clear but still wedded to research technique, Sorell moves from Francis' unique historical context in Western asceticism to an interpretation of the transforming event of Francis' Sermon to the Birds and his celebrated Canticle of Brother Sun., always with textual evidence in hand. Further historical inquiry illuminates the topic of mysticism and finally Francis' unique nature mysticism. Dramatically, it comes down to the interpretation of the Italian "per" in "Be praised my Lord 'per' Sister Moon." Is the moon offering her own praise in the divinely appointed choir? Or is human intimate relationship to the moon the source of this praise? Either way, clearly, if current Christian piety wants to own St. Francis in the ecological crisis, this book insists that we learn from him, not just nod in his direction.

Stephen Dunn
University of St. Michael's College
Toronto, Ont.