Francis William Bessler first wrote his biographical studies of Saint Francis of Assisi and William Penn in 1994 but has returned to his work over and over again. He believes that his latest compilation provides new insight into their lives and what they have to teach others.
Saint Francis of Assisi lived in medieval Europe from 1182 to 1226. As Bessler delves into the life of the beloved saint, he shows how Francis’s early love for chivalric heroes of legend transformed into a stalwart determination to help the most vulnerable of his society.
William Penn, on the other hand, was most famous for the work he completed an ocean away and centuries later in the New World. His leadership combined deep compassion with spirited rebellion, and he became known for fighting for liberty in an unjust time.
Bessler calls his work a speculative biography, which incorporates the facts about the lives of Francis and William with Bessler’s observations about their legacies and their influence on his own path. His thoughtful insights show the many ways these two men of great integrity changed the world around them by sticking to their own religious and humanitarian principles.