Clare of Assisi: Her Life and Theology

As an influential religious founder and model of poverty, St. Clare of Assisi left us with a legacy that is at once humble and immense. In this audio course, you will join an internationally acclaimed expert on the life and literature of St. Clare. Drawing on decades as a scholar and translator of St. Clare, Sr. Joan Mueller, O.S.C., Ph.D. invites you to explore Clare's rich literary heritage. Through her remarkable writings, you will discover a window into the timeless wisdom of thirteenth-century medieval women. The insights you gain in Sr. Mueller’s lectures will not only inform your understanding but also inspire your own spirituality. Starting with her letters to Agnes of Prague, you will explore Clare’s writings within the context of her life, times, and spirituality. Next, you will explore Clare's masterpiece Form of Life, the culmination of a monastic lifetime. Together with Agnes, Clare worked to adapt papal decrees according to the Franciscan charism of poverty. Like the patristic fathers before them, both Francis and Clare experienced their life with God as sacrum commercium: a “divine business deal.” Poverty was therefore embraced as a precious treasure at the very root of one’s conversion to Christ. You will discover how this understanding was developed in Clare's own words. If you are interested in gaining deeper insight into the remarkable life and writings of St. Clare of Assisi and Franciscan spirituality, you will find this course invaluable.