Dr. Peter Weller

Animals. All of it, man. We love St. Francis. How can you go wrong? Look, it's not BS about Francis. The guy was that. The guy preached compassion. Walking the human walk. Okay, this is not... Crazy. But by 1217, when he's given a permit, an order, by Innocent III, he's one of the toughest popes around because he's got a champion where he comes from in Umbria.

Animals. All of it, man. We love St. Francis. How can you go wrong? Look, it's not BS about Francis. The guy was that. The guy preached compassion. Walking the human walk. Okay, this is not... Crazy. But by 1217, when he's given a permit, an order, by Innocent III, he's one of the toughest popes around because he's got a champion where he comes from in Umbria.

Animals. All of it, man. We love St. Francis. How can you go wrong? Look, it's not BS about Francis. The guy was that. The guy preached compassion. Walking the human walk. Okay, this is not... Crazy. But by 1217, when he's given a permit, an order, by Innocent III, he's one of the toughest popes around because he's got a champion where he comes from in Umbria.

it's like a quarter million people following this guy, man.

it's like a quarter million people following this guy, man.

it's like a quarter million people following this guy, man.

By the time he dies, man, there's a half a million people in Europe, man. I'm talking about from Egypt to Israel.

By the time he dies, man, there's a half a million people in Europe, man. I'm talking about from Egypt to Israel.

By the time he dies, man, there's a half a million people in Europe, man. I'm talking about from Egypt to Israel.

That's wild. And so when I was doing a PhD historiography class about art, a guy named Jeffrey Simcox, great guy, Oxford, UCLA, looks like Robert Redford. And he's doing a historiography, which is the history of history, you know, and I bring up Franciscanism and I go, You know, the transformation of imagery. Of imagery. Because it's the first time that Christ is painted in suffering. Dying.

That's wild. And so when I was doing a PhD historiography class about art, a guy named Jeffrey Simcox, great guy, Oxford, UCLA, looks like Robert Redford. And he's doing a historiography, which is the history of history, you know, and I bring up Franciscanism and I go, You know, the transformation of imagery. Of imagery. Because it's the first time that Christ is painted in suffering. Dying.

That's wild. And so when I was doing a PhD historiography class about art, a guy named Jeffrey Simcox, great guy, Oxford, UCLA, looks like Robert Redford. And he's doing a historiography, which is the history of history, you know, and I bring up Franciscanism and I go, You know, the transformation of imagery. Of imagery. Because it's the first time that Christ is painted in suffering. Dying.

Pietà. Dying on the cross. Not winning. You understand. Private images of devotion. Christ in pain. People in pain. You understand that. You're supposed to understand that. Because it's not necessarily just... you the penitent going, forgive me. But it's you identifying with world suffering so that you might go out and heal it.

Pietà. Dying on the cross. Not winning. You understand. Private images of devotion. Christ in pain. People in pain. You understand that. You're supposed to understand that. Because it's not necessarily just... you the penitent going, forgive me. But it's you identifying with world suffering so that you might go out and heal it.

Pietà. Dying on the cross. Not winning. You understand. Private images of devotion. Christ in pain. People in pain. You understand that. You're supposed to understand that. Because it's not necessarily just... you the penitent going, forgive me. But it's you identifying with world suffering so that you might go out and heal it.

This sounds like hoity-toity, touchy-feely nonsense of the 21st century. This is what this guy was preaching. And by the way, you helped the person in front of you with kindness. This is Buddhist, man. Yes, very similar. Handle what's in front of you with kindness. The world will handle itself. So I bring this up with Simcox's class. I say, you know,

This sounds like hoity-toity, touchy-feely nonsense of the 21st century. This is what this guy was preaching. And by the way, you helped the person in front of you with kindness. This is Buddhist, man. Yes, very similar. Handle what's in front of you with kindness. The world will handle itself. So I bring this up with Simcox's class. I say, you know,

This sounds like hoity-toity, touchy-feely nonsense of the 21st century. This is what this guy was preaching. And by the way, you helped the person in front of you with kindness. This is Buddhist, man. Yes, very similar. Handle what's in front of you with kindness. The world will handle itself. So I bring this up with Simcox's class. I say, you know,

the biggest transformation of perhaps spirituality in the Western world, Franciscanism. And this woman down the way is an intellectual historian. She says, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. The biggest transformation? Are you kidding me? The biggest transformation, Weller? That's a little bit over the top.

the biggest transformation of perhaps spirituality in the Western world, Franciscanism. And this woman down the way is an intellectual historian. She says, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. The biggest transformation? Are you kidding me? The biggest transformation, Weller? That's a little bit over the top.