This is the assignment page for the topic "Mendicant Monasticism: Dominicans and Franciscans" for J. B. Owens's sections of the lower-division undergraduate course, History 101, Foundation of Western Civilization. The sole purpose of this page and all of the pages linked to it is to provide an orientation for those students enrolled in History 101.

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Mendicant Monasticism

ID: Francis of Assisi (ca. 1182-1226), Franciscans, Dominic (ca. 1170-1221), Dominicans, Pope Innocent III (r. 1198-1216), Inquisition

  1. Why were the new mendicant orders of the thirteenth century able to obtain such a significant position in Europe's intellectual and religious life?
  2. What were the major differences between the new Dominican and Franciscan orders at their foundation in the thirteenth century?
  3. Why did Francis of Assisi (ca. 1182-1226) write in praise of nature?
  4. Why did Dominic want members of his order to give such a high priority to scholarship?

READING

Owens, ch. 10; Kishlansky, pp. 185-186; Francis of Assisi [1182-1226], "Sermon to the Birds" (ca. 1220) at the URL: [http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/saintfran.htm].

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J. B. Owens
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Revised: 29 May 2006


URL:  http://www.isu.edu/~owenjack/westciv/wcsyl.11.html