The Saint and the Sultan: The Crusades, Islam, and Francis of Assisi's Mission of Peace

Although I became aware several years ago of Paul Moses’ book “The Saint and the Sultan” re-visioning the extraordinary meeting between St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik al-Kamil of Egypt, and had planned to obtain it, other events intervened. Recently, however, I have been receiving various communications from conservative friends that led me to recall my intention. Specifically, I was “treated” to a rather absurd assertion that since the First Crusade had been self-defense because Muslims had attacked Christians in the Holy Land, therefore all subsequent wars of aggression perpetrated against believers in Allah by so-called followers of Christ should be viewed in that same light.Paul Moses has accomplished a truly amazing feat of investigative historical writing in terms of ferreting out the story of this amazing encounter between the saint and the sultan, in view of the fact that during the decades following the death (and almost immediate canonization) of St. Francis of Assisi “official” biographies were fabricated to completely obscure the true purpose and message of this encounter. In addition, earlier writings were banned, and as much as possible, destroyed. The bare bones of the story Moses tells involve Francis’ absolute determination to take literally the admonition of Jesus to love our enemies. He was also a committed pacifist, absolutely opposed to war in any form, believing that the only God-sanctioned way of converting those who did not believe in Jesus was by loving encounter, not disputation or coercion or violence. Finally, of course, St. Francis was totally committed to the ethos of poverty, believing that the only true way to follow Jesus was to give up all worldly possessions and ambitions and become authentic servants of all.In 1219, the Fifth Crusade, promoted initially by Pope Innocent III, was a blatant attempt to conquer Egypt for political and economic gain. Although the “excuse” was the “liberation of Jerusalem” which had been conquered by Saladin during the previous Crusade, as a matter of fact one of the peace offers made by Sultan Malik al-Kamil would have involved turning Jerusalem back over to the Christians in return for being left alone in North Africa. No dice; the pope and others wanted the city of Damietta for the trade advantages it would assure, and had ambitions to control all Egypt as well.Paul Moses completes his remarkable account of the commitment of St. Francis to sincere dialog with followers of Islam with parallels to the current situation which are inescapable. We are fully aware, after a history of nearly 800 years of essentially continuous warfare between those who profess to follow Jesus and those who claim loyalty to the teachings of Mohammad that neither group is anywhere near achieving the “conversion” of the other. Instead, both sides have demonstrated unequivocally that they are completely faithless with respect to the teachings of their founders. However, as a follower of Jesus myself, I have to assert that I believe, as St. Francis did, that WE are the most to blame; the Prophet of Islam was NOT the “Prince of Peace” that we claim Jesus was, nor do Muslims believe that he spoke and taught as God Incarnate. They perhaps therefore have more justification for believing in the more militant will of the God of Abraham, the Allah they worship. Yet if we dare to proclaim we represent Jesus while we utterly ignore his admonition to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, do good to those who hurt us, and refrain from killing in any mode, are we not in fact being the Infidels that many followers of Islam consider us to be?

The book came in good condition when it was promised. No complaints.

Absolutely loved the book. Highly recommended.

I am a Roman Catholic who has been involved in Interfaith dialogue since 1994. An admirer of St. Francis but unfamiliar with the history he had with the Sultan. I have close Muslim friends who I invited to speak our parish community about Islam several years ago. I have learned a lot about Islam and have come to believe that open dialogue strengthens and enriches our own individual faith journeys. At a time when our country and others are so divided this book lifted my spirits and affirmed my hope we are stronger when we share and inspire others with our stories.I just recommended this book to my Interfaith book club.

Actually already this book on KINDLE but want to do more intensive research. Saint Francis of Assisi was a childhood favorite. I was intrigued by the fact that Francis talked to the birds; truth is they were talking to him. Francis was the son of a very wealthy merchant who suited up, went off to war, was captured and spent a year or more in jail. Eventually freed and founded Franciscan order, decided to visit middle east to put an end to crusades. Befriended with and by al-Adil, Sultan Malik who gifted Saint Francis with protected travel throughout the middle east. The reason for purchasing the book is to study the impact of the equality of these two men. It is rumored that Saint Francis planned to implant some Muslim prayer practice into the Franciscan order and possibly the Sultan may have considered becoming a Roman Catholic... Saint Francis was an embarrassment to the church because he was not a handsome man and he dressed in mole garments, unless he gave them to someone more needy! Very interesting reading historically and religiously as well!

Mr. Moses presents the information in the book as a correction for what he says are inacurrate accounts of St. Francis which had been presented by the Church during the era of the cursades. I do believe that in all probability, the early historical accounts of St. Francis did add a lot of folklure about the saint and may not be as accurate an account as was reality. However, I get the impresseion that Mr. Moses's attempt to paint the Sultan as a Muslum saint he most probably is guilty of the same inaccuracies as he accuses Bartholameau and the Church of doing for St. Francis. I also feel that Mr. Moses has used this account to promote his own agenda in promotion of Islam. He mentions, over and over the autrocities that occurred during the heat of battle and the looting of the Christians within the Muslum communities but the same does not mention autrocities that were levied upon the Christian communities that the Muslum armies invaded. Neither does he discuss the fact that the original cause of the Crusades was in response to assist Christians who were being slaughtered by Muslums in an attempt of Islam to convert the world and to slaughter the infidel. I believe there is equal guilt on both sides. The Chruch was indeed in a state of shame during these years and the Church has readily admitted to this. Additionally, the Chruch has put corrections into place that prevents it from engaging in this type of shameful behavior. I was sorely disappointed in this book.

It was quite a different life that was that of St. Francis than I had thought. This book was recommended to me by a United Methodist minister that I had worked for for many years in the past and knew of my keen appreciation of St. Francis as the patron of our new Pope (my being a Roman Catholic). I was not disappointed in the book as it was a wonderful one in which this Francis worked with the Sultan in the ways of peace in times of such cruelty and war...much like our times today. Very much a good read and inspiring.

Great book - well written and some lessons for us all today. It gives background to both Francis and the Sultan and also the crusades which is very helpful. This episode in the life of Francis often gets a chapter in his biographies and this is a welcome study of this event. Recommended.

I found this book so interesting as it coincides with what the current Pope Francis is repeating......

Historical background and his personal experience definitely governed the formation of Francis's unwavering determination for love and peace, which is much different from those of the shallow pacifists just shouting for peace for their own sake. If he was not born in the middle of the Age of Crusades and did not enter the Battle of Collestrada as a knight of Assisi, he would have ended his life as a good, generous garment merchant. The hagiographical Francis has been well known amoung us since the time when he was still alive but about the historical Francis, we have been almost ignorant. This book is a must for all the Franciscans who want to know why he crossed the battle lines of Damietta to meet Sultan Malik al-Kamil and what he and Illuminato were doing in his presence in the Muslim camp.