Franciscan

The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans) is a mendicant religious order of men tracing their origin to Francis of Assisi and following the Rule of St. Francis. The official Latin name is the Ordo Fratrum Minorum (literally, "Order of Little Brothers"); Francis thus referred to his followers as "Fratricelli", meaning "Little Brothers". Franciscan brothers are informally called friars. The order has historically been known as the greyfriars. Among the most important Franciscans are its founder, Francis, as well as Anthony of Padua, Bonaventure, John Duns Scotus, Roger Bacon, Alexander of Hales, William of Ockham, and Giovanni da Pian del Carpini.

Books

• A History of the Franciscan Order: From Its Origins to the Year 1517 by John Moorman ISBN 0198264259
• Medieval Monasticism: Forms of Religious Life in Western Europe in the Middle Ages (3rd Edition) by C.H. Lawrence, ISBN 0582404274
• The Spiritual Franciscans: From Protest to Persecution in the Century After Saint Francis by David Burr. ISBN 0271021284