When Saint Francis Saved the Church offers a surprising new look at the world’s most popular saint, showing how this beloved, but often-mythologized character created a spiritual vision for the ages and may very well have rescued the Christian faith. In When Saint Francis Saved the Church (paperback), popular historian Jon Sweeney presents an intriguing portrait of Francis beyond the readily familiar stories and images. In the tradition of Thomas Cahill’s How the Irish Saved Civilization, Sweeney reveals how the saint became a hinge in the history of the Christian faith and shows how in just fourteen years—from 1205 to 1219—the unconventional and stumbling wisdom of a converted troubadour changed the Church. Sweeney outlines Francis’s revolutionary approach to friendship, “the other” (people at the margins), poverty, spirituality, care (for people, creatures, and the natural world), and death. This vibrant book presents the unsullied life and message of Francis in its essential details, offering a sweeping, informative, remarkable look at how Francis and his movement quite literally saved the Christian faith—and continues to offer a spiritual vision with contemporary relevance.

This bibliography brings together in one comprehensive volume citations of books, dissertations, theses, and ERIC microfiche relating to the history of specific institutions of higher education worldwide. All types of postsecondary institutions--two years colleges, liberal arts colleges, seminaries, specialized institutions, and universities--are included. Entries include the following elements when available: author/editor, title, place of publication, publisher, publication date, and number of pages. Citations from 85 countries are included. Entries are by country, dependency, and territory. The United States has been further divided by state. Names of institutions are in English. References are in the language in which they were written. The majority of the citations should be available in a library somewhere in the United States. Obscure sources that may be difficult to obtain have been included because they are often the only citation. All editions of a title as well as older works are included because of their potential value to a researcher. The book should be a part of all college, university, and large public library collections. College of Education faculty members specializing in higher or comparative education will find much of value here.