Franciscan Mission and Identity at Assisi

• "Lesser Brothers: Franciscan Mission and Identity at Assisi" by Amy Neff explores artwork in the Upper Church of San Francesco, Assisi.
• It focuses on the thematic significance of the Isaac Master's frescoes and their relation to Franciscan identity.

Franciscan Minority

• Examines the concept of Franciscan minority through biblical scenes.
• Isaac Blessing Jacob, Isaac Rejecting Esau, Joseph in the Well, Joseph in Egypt depict what it meant to be a Franciscan brother.
• Saint Francis emphasized fraternal bonds and mutual service in the Regula non bullata, or Earlier Rule.
• Franciscans were to be brothers of equal worth, living a "lesser" life according to the Gospels.
• Fraternal minority placed the Franciscans below and outside society's institutions, bound by personal relationships and commitment to the Gospel.

Basilica of S. Francesco

• Marked as a "special church" by the papacy.
• Features frescoes emphasizing the roles of Francis, the Franciscans, and the Roman Church.
• Displays a dual allegiance to the Franciscan order and the papacy through its art.
• Narrative sequence of Saint Francis's legend promotes the founder's cult.
• Biblical scenes connect the order to Rome, reinforcing apostolic authenticity and the Roman papacy.

Old Testament Frescoes

• Purpose is to represent patriarchs as protagonists of sacred history and precursors to Christ.
• Choice of scenes was deliberate, as Assisi includes only sixteen Old Testament scenes compared to forty-six at Old St. Peter's.
• Isaac Rejecting Esau and Joseph in Egypt are added scenes, emphasizing specific Franciscan interests.
• The story of Isaac blessing Jacob occupies two of the sixteen Old Testament scenes.

Isaac's Blessing

• Story relevant to Franciscans, referring to Francis's deathbed blessing and the difficulties of succession.
• Tensions and scandal surrounding Elias made the order's need for proper governance clear.
• Isaac provides a model for difficult yet necessary choices.
• Franciscans are tied to the difficulties and momentous importance of inheritance and deathbed blessing.

Jacob as a Prototype

• Called a new Jacob, embracing both active and contemplative religious paths
• A model for the stigmatization of Francis.
• Portrayed as a "simple man" and a "true follower of Christ".
• The Isaac Master's frescoes concern the exemplary religious life of Jacob, as a prefiguration of Francis.

Meditatio Pauperis & Franciscan Brotherhood

• Explores the virtues and mission of Saint Francis and his order.
• heroic virtues of poverty, charity, and humility are fulfilled to a special degree in the life of the Friar Minor
• Franciscan order is rooted in Christ's humility as the sure foundation.
• John of Wales defines terms carefully to explain the order's virtues through its name
• Emphasizes that brotherhood is a core value, with members bound by mutual love, service, and humility.

John of Wales on Jacob and Esau

• Begins a complex explanation, focusing on the characters, moral worth, and historical significance of the two brothers
• Meditatio pauperis builds on earlier interpretations, with an emphasis on the fraternal relationship of Jacob and Esau.
• Jacob was called Israel which means "he who sees God"
• Frater minor signifies both younger brother and Franciscan Friar Minor, enabling inventive interpretations.
• Describes importance of Esau's priestly clothes, interpreting it as the shift of sacredness from the Jews to the followers of Christ.
• Clothes also signify Franciscan rule which is virtues.
• Acknowledges the Esau and Jewish people as ancestors
• Jacob's garment is wine red in the fresco, symbolizing both Christ's blood and the lineage of the Jewish ancestors through Esau.

John of Wales on the Rule/Guidance of the Order

• Jacob is given guidance and protection by Rebecca, symbol of the Church.
• The substitution underlines the importance of minority and the parallel between Jacob and the rule.
• Rejection of Esau may stress Isaac's necessary choice and divine will rather than outright condemnation of Esau.

Esau

• His semi-bestial nature is alluded to with a centaur carved above Isaac’s bed
• No hunters among the saints
• Redness from Esau is the mark of Christ, signifying his blood and lineage
• Furtive exit seems to visualize a contrast to the Good Samaritan

Progeny of Jacob

• Demonstrates the scriptural origins and significance of minority.
• Minority is sanctioned and bound by a rule whose most essential and crowning virtue is minority itself-that is, being the lowest, the most humble of all.
• The group of twelve friars kneeling before Innocent III in the Approval of the Rule might parallel the twelve tribes of the sons of Jacob-Israel.

Joseph

• Story speaks of Franciscan humility, fraternity, and mission.
• Joseph mirrors Christ when sold then comes the glory of it later
• Links Joseph's story to themes of priesthood and brotherhood
• Emphasizes that Christ must go outside if the sinner must be healed

Benjamin

• He embodies Franciscan ideals of conformity to teaching.
• Shares the role of building and adorning the perfected Church
• The imagery of the book signifies the spiritual, intellectual, and moral messages of the church
• As the order is divinely guided, so to must Esau, and the order must stand against the "brotherly hatred"