New Biography of Antoine Frederic Ozanam
New Biography of Antoine Frederic Ozanam
The University of Notre Dame Press has just published a biography of Antoine Frederic Ozanam by Raymond Sickinger. He is the chair of the Department of History and Classics at Providence College. This is this first comprehensive biography in English in a long time.
Description of the book from the Notre Dame Press Website:
Raymond Sickinger’s biography of Antoine Frédéric Ozanam is more than a chronological account of Ozanam’s relatively brief but extraordinary life. It is also a comprehensive study of a man who touched many lives as a teacher, writer, and principal founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Ozanam’s life encompassed a particularly turbulent time in French history, and he was a witness to two major political upheavals—the overthrow of the Bourbon dynasty that brought Louis Philippe to power in 1830, and the end of Louis Philippe’s “Bourgeois Monarchy” as a result of the 1848 Revolutions. This book examines Ozanam’s life in a variety of ways. First, it explores the various roles he played throughout his life—son, sibling, student, member of and an inspiration for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, spouse and father, scholar, and spokesperson for the common people. Second, it examines the lessons he learned in his life, including the importance of friendship, the meaning of solidarity, and the role and purpose of suffering, among many others that he shares with those who study his thought and work. It concludes with an account of Ozanam’s enduring legacy.
Antoine Frédéric Ozanam feared that he would not have a fruitful career, but his legacy remains a powerful testimony to his greatness. This book will interest scholars wishing to know more about Ozanam and the period in which he lived, as well as a wider audience including those who are aware or are members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
To learn more or to purchase the book, please click here.
To read an article by Mark Gordon on Patheos that discusses the new biography, click here.
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From Kathryn Pitts, Marketing Manager, University of Notre Dame Press:
NOTRE DAME, IN, June 13, 2017—Raymond Sickinger, professor of history at Providence College, has published a new book titled Antoine Frédéric Ozanam. More than a chronological account of Ozanam’s relatively brief but extraordinary life, this book is also a comprehensive study of a man who touched many lives as a teacher, writer, and principal founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
“Raymond Sickinger’s insightful book on the founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers English-speaking readers an arresting portrait of a Catholic layman moved to prophetic action by the promptings of his faith as well as a grounding in the spiritual depths of a lay movement that challenges its members to grow in holiness in the course of serving the poor. Locating his subject amid the challenges of the political, intellectual, and religious turmoil of ninteenth-century France, Sickinger not only highlights Ozanam’s significant role in the history of Catholic lay spirituality but assesses him in light of the thought-provoking legacy he has left the contemporary church.” —Wendy M. Wright, Creighton University
Antoine Frédéric Ozanam is available in cloth and numerous digital editions from the University of Notre Dame Press. For a review copy, or more information, contact: Kathryn Pitts, Marketing Manager, University of Notre Dame Press, e: pitts.5@nd.edu, p: 574.631.3267
http://undpress.nd.edu/books/P03300?keywords=sickinger