{"product_id":"clare-of-assisi-gentle-warrior-paperback","title":"Clare of Assisi: Gentle Warrior - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eWendy Murray\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eClare of Assisi is generally known as \"the female friend\" of Saint Francis of Assisi and for centuries her legacy has remained obscured by his shadow. Yet Clare's life and story ought to shine in its own light and on its own terms (her name, after all, means \"light\"). She is a figure of true heroism, tenacity, beatitude and grit who plotted her improbable course in the context of the raucous and explosive period of the Middle Ages. Much went wrong for Clare after the day when, as a teen, she fled the home of her noble and wealthy family to follow Francis in a life of poverty. No one would have begrudged her if, when the trials had become onerous, she had decided simply to \"go home.\" Yet she stayed the course, even after Francis had died. She pulled from the fire of her trials embers that would become her crown. In this new book, Wendy Murray digs deeply into Clare's decision to abandon rank and wealth for allegiance to Christ (and in no small way, Francis) and explores the circumstances which, later on, tested Clare's devotion. Clare's curious and vivid spiritual vision galvanized her ability to persevere amid difficult circumstances and enabled her to stay her course and lay claim to a legacy that shines brightly among the host of medieval saints.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWendy Murray\u003c\/b\u003e was living in Assisi, Italy when she completed the book \u003ci\u003eA Mended and a Broken Heart, the Life and Love of Francis of Assisi\u003c\/i\u003e (Basic Books, June 2008). She spent nearly five years researching the lives of Saint Francis and Saint Clare, a large portion of which was undertaken on site in Italy. She is respected among the Catholic (Franciscan) community in Assisi and has intimate access to the most learned scholars and experts and maintains good standing among the city's primary librarians. \u003ci\u003eA Mended and a Broken Heart \u003c\/i\u003ehas been officially endorsed by the Franciscan community in Assisi and is carried in the town's major bookstores. (Millions of English-speaking pilgrims visit Assisi every year.) She is knowledgeable of Latin and conversant in Italian.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeyond her work in Italy, she is otherwise a well-traveled and award-winning journalist who has published widely in many venues. She grew up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio (1980), majoring in religion and graduating \u003ci\u003emagna cum laude\u003c\/i\u003e. She also received membership in Hiram's \u003ci\u003ePhi Beta Kappa \u003c\/i\u003esociety. She completed a master's degree in theological studies (New Testament) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, S. Hamilton, Massachusetts, graduating \u003ci\u003emagna cum laude\u003c\/i\u003e in 1985.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe lived in Honduras, Central America for four years where she served as regional correspondent for \u003ci\u003eTime \u003c\/i\u003emagazine. She worked as writer and associate editor at \u003ci\u003eChristianity Today \u003c\/i\u003emagazine from 1995 to 2000 and served as senior writer through 2004. Her work has taken her all over the world and her feature essays have won awards consistently. David Neff, then-executive editor at CT, said of her work: \"Wendy has brought a keen sense for the emotional center of a story. No story is just about facts, and journalism that sticks to bare facts does a disservice to its readers. In journalism, as in life, every significant event and every person worth writing about is gifted with the power to serve as a warning or an inspiration, to motivate, to model, to repel, to reveal. Journalism that taps into that power is risky, and we thank her for her determination to take those risks.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe has published extensively in other journals, including \u003ci\u003eBooks \u0026amp; Culture, The Christian Century, \u003c\/i\u003eand Beliefnet.com and currently has a column titled \"Poets \u0026amp; Lunatics\" on the religious website Patheos.com. Twice her essays have been included in \u003ci\u003eThe Best Christian Writing, \u003c\/i\u003e edited by John Wilson. She was cited in \u003ci\u003eBrill's Content \u003c\/i\u003eas being numbered among the nation's leading religion reporters. She has appeared on \"Chris Matthew's Hard Ball,\" \"Religion \u0026amp; Ethics Newsweekly\" and was invited to speak before a select group of thought leaders by the Carnegie Council in New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe served as writer-in-residence at Gordon College (Wenham, Massachusetts) for two years (2004 to 2006) and has taught courses on Francis of Assisi, both in Massachusetts and through the college's international studies program in Orvieto, Italy. She also served as an adjunct professor of Communications through 2011.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe has written eleven books, including \u003ci\u003eThe Beliefnet Guide to Evangelical Christianity \u003c\/i\u003e(Doubleday, 2005), \u003ci\u003eMeet Me in Managua \u003c\/i\u003e(Kregel, 2005); \u003ci\u003eOn Broken Legs\u003c\/i\u003e (NavPress 2004) and\u003ci\u003e Day of Reckoning: Columbine and the Search for America's Soul\u003c\/i\u003e (Brazos, 2001); and \u003ci\u003eA Mended and a Broken Heart: The Life and Love of St. Francis of Assisi\u003c\/i\u003e (2008).\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 208\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.4 x 8.5 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 22, 2020\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51966790631725,"sku":"9781640601833","price":20.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/3185\/6429\/files\/WnhmNEhqRHVwWmoxV2RZa1lIOXdrQT09.webp?v=1775539002","url":"https:\/\/ishookbooks.com\/products\/clare-of-assisi-gentle-warrior-paperback","provider":"iShook Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}