This book investigates the intellectual and political conflict surrounding the apostolic poverty controversy during the papacy of John XXII, specifically through the lens of Cardinal Bertrand de la Tour. Patrick Nold, a scholar of medieval history, examines the complex loyalties of Bertrand de la Tour, a Franciscan cardinal caught between his allegiance to the Pope and his commitment to the Franciscan Order. The work utilizes primary source documents and historical records to reconstruct the theological arguments and political pressures that defined this period of ecclesiastical history.

Historians recognize this monograph as a significant contribution to the study of medieval ecclesiastical politics and Franciscan theology. Scholars frequently note the precision with which Nold navigates the complex institutional tensions of the Avignon papacy.