Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- saint_francis [2008-10-16 15:50] – theunkarelse
+++ saint_francis [2011-10-08 08:43] – theunkarelse
@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
-===== about Saint Francis of Assisi =====
+===== Saint Francis as a performance artist =====
+<blockquote>
+When brother Francis wanted to say the name of Jesus, his biographer Thomas de Celano recounts, he would sometimes use the phrase 'child of Bethlehem' and when he said Bethlehem, the pure joy of saying it would make him bleat like a sheep: 'Beeeeeeeethleheeeeeeem'. And he would lick his lips as if  he was tasting some sweet thing.</blockquote>
-When brother Francis wanted to say the name of Jesus, his biographer Thomas de Celano recounts, he would sometimes use the phrase 'child of Bethlehem' and when he said Bethlehem, the pure joy of saying it would make him bleat like a sheep: 'Beeeeeeeethleheeeeeeem'. And he would lick his lips as if  he was tasting some sweet thing.
+In the time of Francis Europe was going through a first wave of raw capitalism. Business was challenging the state and the religious system. So that's the setting. Francis is recognized as the biggest religious genius Europe has ever produced. He has a great sense of PR. Francis went around the Italian countryside with an odd bunch of followers re-enacting the life of Jesus and his disciples. He had a vast media campaign including vast amounts of printed portraits, live animals and most powerful of all perhaps his Jack-Ass like stunts and controversial live events. These would include being dragged through the city behind a wagon, bringing live animals to mass, stripping naked on the market in front of high officials, swearing and throwing rocks at other holy-men and talking or praying to rocks, birds, flowers etc. He was a stunt-man, singer songwriter, performance artist, Jesus-impersonator[1], dancer, poet, air-guitarist, animal-trainer and village-idiot.
-In the time of Francis Europe was going through a massive commercial revolution. Business was challenging the state and the religious system. People were Catholics but they just went through the motions. Somehow Francis succeeded to convert people who already thought they were Christians, to sort-of renew their faith. He did not just succeed, he is generally recognized as the biggest religious genius Europe has ever produced. Also he successfully showed people the harmful side of business by demonstrating the virtue of poverty in such a manner that the locals viewed him with astonishment and laughter. How did he do it? He tapped into peoples direct experience by inventing the Christmas-stable, taking live animals into church. Also he did jackass-like challenges and stunts, he had himself dragged through town behind a wagon because he ate a piece of chicken. He threw rocks at other holy-men. Could be seen talking or praying to rocks, birds, flowers etc. He was a show-man,  singer songwriter, performance artist, Jesus-impersonator[1], dancer, poet, fake-instrument player, animal-trainer and village-idiot. He never told people what to do he just showed them relying completely on his intuition, and he was extremely successful.