Skip to main content

Secondary sourceBook1923

St. Francis of Assisi

G. K. Chesterton · 1923

G. K. Chesterton's 1923 biography presenting Francis of Assisi as a joyful, paradoxical saint.

A 1923 biography reinterpreting Francis of Assisi's life and character for modern readers.

Ask Saint Francis about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Full text (Wikisource)

About this source

What it is

This is an excerpt from St. Francis of Assisi, a biography written by the English author G. K. Chesterton in 1923. It was part of a popular educational book series.

Why it matters

Chesterton's book is a famous example of how later writers reinterpreted Francis's life for modern readers. He presents Francis as a figure of contradictions—someone who embraced both poverty and joy—showing how interpretations of historical saints can change over time.

Look closer

  • Why might Chesterton call his first chapter 'The Problem of St. Francis'?
  • How does a biography written 700 years after Francis's death differ from an eyewitness account?
  • What does Chesterton's choice of words suggest about his own views on faith and history?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Francis on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Saint Francis sources

Meet the AI Saint Francis →
Manuscript page in Latin with black gothic script and red initial letter M and red-highlighted lines, with handwritten marginal notes on the right. The text includes 'Altissimu onnipotente bon signore' and 'Laudes creaturarum', consistent with the Canticle of the Sun.Book

Primary source

Canticle of the Sun

Francis of Assisi · 1226

Photograph of a small, aged parchment sheet sealed in a metal-framed case. It has faded brown ink text in Latin with red headings, a large hand-drawn red and brown Tau cross with a figure-like sketch, and a few lines of writing at the bottom.Document

Primary source

Chartula fratri Leonis

Francis of Assisi · 1224

Book

Secondary source

First Life of Saint Francis

Thomas of Celano · 1230

Gold-background panel painting in a gabled wooden frame. A standing robed friar with a halo holds a book and raises one hand, flanked by two angels above. Smaller framed scenes in the side panels show his life events in colorful architecture.Painting

Secondary source

Saint Francis of Assisi and Scenes of His Life

Bonaventura Berlinghieri · 1235

Aerial view of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi on a hilltop, with its pink-toned stone walls, a tall bell tower, and a large sloping retaining wall. A parking area and winding road are below, with green valley and hills in the distance under a cloudy sky.Artifact

Secondary source

Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi

begun 1228

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Saint Francis now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions