Living in a rigidly hierarchical society, Saint Francis of Assisi had the dream of creating a community of equals within his own Order. The Order was to be a living reminder to all that before God, all are equal. The vow of poverty was one of the measures to provide that equality, but other markers of social status— especially noble birth and education—proved much harder to dismantle. In this talk, Neslihan Senocak (Columbia) will look at the struggles of Francis and medieval Franciscans to create and maintain a community of equals. This medieval experiment can give us clues on why social inequality is so resilient even when equality is enshrined in laws.

On Wednesday, November 12, at 6 PM, join Professor Neslihan Senoçak about Francis’ poverty over a rich dinner.