A provocative study in contemporary sociology and the first full-scale account of Roman Catholic fundamentalism, The Smoke of Satan offers new insight into the Catholic Church and explores the nature of religion in society.

This book provides an in-depth analysis of the virtues of evangelical life according to three major Franciscan authors: Francis of Assisi, Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, and David of Augsburg. It is the first to offer a historical and source-based treatment of early Franciscan virtue discourse, by answering the following questions: How do the authors describe and prescribe the essential virtues for the life in the footsteps of Jesus Christ? How are the spiritual virtues acquired or lost? How do the development and application of these virtues shape “perfect” individuals as well as the “good” of the community? This work is a valuable contribution to our understanding of how the virtues functioned as central, organizing elements in early Franciscan literature and instruction.