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A review of "Simply Bonaventure: An Introduction to His Life, Thought and Writings" by Ilia Delio.
I know
very little about Bonaventure except what I read in this book, but I agree with
the other reviewer that it's surprisingly easy to read, despite the somewhat
"obscure" subject - a 13th century Franciscan theologian. (OK, I know
that Bonaventure isn't obscure to students of Church history, but to the educated
public he's probably almost unknown, whereas Augustine and Thomas Aquinas are
considered "common knowledge".)
I must say that I was intrigued by what I read in this small volume. Bonaventure was strongly influenced by Neo-Platonism, and there seems to be some kind of pantheistic tendency in his thought. As a Franciscan, he naturally defended St. Francis' curious (for a Christian) identification with all of creation, from the sun and the moon to the birds, etc.
At the same time, humanity plays a very central role in the theology of Bonaventure. Humanity is at the center of creation, the human side of Christ is emphasized, etc. Sometimes, this almost sounds like Renaissance humanism... In passing, Ilia Delio also claim that Bonaventure believed in the sovereignity of the people. Can this really be true? Or were the Franciscans simply using a terminology later used by the Renaissance humanists, but filling it with a different content?
It was also fascinating to read about Bonaventure's view of Jesus. On the one hand, it sounds like the Orthodox view: the Incarnation of the Word would have happened even if humanity had not sinned, since the point of the Incarnation is ontological. It transforms the entire world, taking it to a higher level. Bonaventure even believed that atonement for sin was the least important reason why the Son became man. On the other hand, and in opposition to Orthodoxy, there is also an emphasis on the suffering Christ on the cross, his stigmata, etc. Today, this is considered "typically Catholic".
To sum up then, I recommend this book to everyone interested in Franciscans and Bonaventure. I suppose the next logical step is to take on Bonaventure's own writings, in the Classics of Western Spirituality volume.
I must say that I was intrigued by what I read in this small volume. Bonaventure was strongly influenced by Neo-Platonism, and there seems to be some kind of pantheistic tendency in his thought. As a Franciscan, he naturally defended St. Francis' curious (for a Christian) identification with all of creation, from the sun and the moon to the birds, etc.
At the same time, humanity plays a very central role in the theology of Bonaventure. Humanity is at the center of creation, the human side of Christ is emphasized, etc. Sometimes, this almost sounds like Renaissance humanism... In passing, Ilia Delio also claim that Bonaventure believed in the sovereignity of the people. Can this really be true? Or were the Franciscans simply using a terminology later used by the Renaissance humanists, but filling it with a different content?
It was also fascinating to read about Bonaventure's view of Jesus. On the one hand, it sounds like the Orthodox view: the Incarnation of the Word would have happened even if humanity had not sinned, since the point of the Incarnation is ontological. It transforms the entire world, taking it to a higher level. Bonaventure even believed that atonement for sin was the least important reason why the Son became man. On the other hand, and in opposition to Orthodoxy, there is also an emphasis on the suffering Christ on the cross, his stigmata, etc. Today, this is considered "typically Catholic".
To sum up then, I recommend this book to everyone interested in Franciscans and Bonaventure. I suppose the next logical step is to take on Bonaventure's own writings, in the Classics of Western Spirituality volume.
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