Saint Antonino and Mediaeval Economics

(Originally published in 1914)

The chief justification that can be urged for this Life of Saint Antonino is to be derived from the value of his economic theories. These are so eminently reasonable and yet so flamingly ideal, so soberly described by him and yet so sincerely Christian, that they must make their appeal to every reader. We are so often repeating that we live in a time of crisis, that civilization stands at the crossways, that the outlook towards the future promises few prospects of hope; we are so increasingly struck by the difficulties that loom ahead of us, so terrified even by the signs of the times, that it is surely good for us to watch how another, in a period of stress and trouble, rose to the height of his great position and brought an answer to the questionings of his own generation. —From the Introduction

The Reverend Bede Jarrett, OP, published this luminescent biography of Saint Antonino (more often known today as Antoninus) in 1914, and its republication by XIII Books gives it a much-deserved second life. Written in a lively, Chestertonian style, it is a pleasure to read. Jarrett’s chapter on Antonino’s character is especially delightful, enriched with excerpts from the saint’s letters that are by turns edifying and amusing. The book is grounded in wide reading—not only of Antonino’s own works but also of the historical sources that provide context for his life in the fifteenth century. Jarrett’s focus on Antonino’s social and economic teaching, long appreciated by business historians for its prescience and practicality, makes this a welcome and accessible introduction to a saint who deserves to be better known. —Jason Aaron Brown, PhD, author of St Antoninus of Florence on Trade, Merchants, and Workers.

Bede Jarrett OP was a good historian and an important figure in the English Church of the early 20th century.  I am glad to see his lively and careful study of the life and thought of his fellow Dominican St Antoninus back in print. —Fr. Thomas Crean, O.P., co-author of Integralism: A Manual of Political Philosophy.