Aaron Gies, ed., Trust: Franciscan Connections in Theology, Spirituality, Economics and Beyond (Franciscan Institute Publications, 2024).
In the light of the crisis and opportunity of the global pandemic, this new interdisciplinary volume attempts to articulate Franciscan approaches to trust. With some variations, trust is defined as a willingness to be vulnerable to the actions of another person, based on the expectation that that person will perform an action important to us, regardless of our ability to monitor or compel that action. Following the teaching and footsteps of Jesus Christ, Francis of Assisi said of his brothers, “for love of Him [Jesus Christ], they must make themselves vulnerable to their enemies.” This ethic of vulnerability fosters a culture of trust, which, although fragile and itself vulnerable to injury, may be renewed as often as the decision to extend trust is made.
Themes addressed include:
trust in Francis’s theological style
trust in Franciscan spiritual literature
trust in Franciscan communities
trust, faith, and love in Franciscan philosophy
trust in economic relationships
trust-building with marginalized groups
trust, money, and fraternity in macroeconomics
trust and the gut-brain pathway
trust and COVID-19.
Order the book here.
