St. Francis of Assisi in American Spirituality

For contemporary Americans, St. Francis of Assisi is the most
familiar of saints other than, perhaps, the Virgin Mary. He is as
beloved among Protestants as among Catholics, and his image appears
outside churchly settings in such places as garden centers and movies.
How did a medieval Catholic saint become so familiar in Protestantism
and popular culture? And what does it mean that he did? We will look at
Protestants' rediscovery of Francis in the nineteenth century and at
some of the many ways he has been interpreted, visualized, and imagined.