Setting the world on fire
Book Description
In an era marked by plague, warfare, and social upheaval, one remarkable woman emerged to reshape the spiritual and political landscape of 14th-century Europe. Shelley Emling presents the extraordinary story of St. Catherine of Siena, whose influence extended far beyond what anyone might expect from the second-youngest daughter in a family of twenty-five children.
Born into a middle-class dyer's household, Catherine defied every convention of her time. She refused marriage, dismissed concerns about physical appearance, and transformed from an illiterate young woman into a powerful writer through dictation to devoted assistants. Despite her frail constitution and severe self-discipline, she commanded the attention of royalty and religious leaders across the continent.
Catherine's achievements seem almost impossible for her era. She mediated peace during Siena's revolutionary period of 1368, addressing crowds of thousands in public squares. Her diplomatic skills proved so formidable that she successfully persuaded Pope Gregory XI to restore the papacy to Rome during a critical moment when the Catholic Church faced potential collapse.
Emling explores how this unlikely figure rose to become one of Italy's two patron saints, standing alongside St. Francis of Assisi as a theological giant comparable to Thomas Aquinas. Through intimate portraiture, readers discover the spiritual practices and unwavering determination that enabled Catherine to bridge the worlds of mysticism and politics, offering timeless lessons about finding purpose and wielding influence through authentic spiritual conviction.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~6 hours)
📄 Length: 226 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Religious
- ✓ Explore Biography
- ✓ Explore Italy, history
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore Siena (italy)
- ✓ Explore Italy, biography
- ✓ Explore Women, italy
- ✓ Explore Saints
