Bonaventure

by Cullen, Christopher M.

• ISBN13: 9780195149265
• ISBN10: 0195149262
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-02-23
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The great Franciscan theologian St. Bonaventure (c.1217-74) engaged in philosophy as well as theology, and the relation between the two in Bonaventure's work has long been debated. Yet, few studies have been devoted to Bonaventure's thought as a whole. In this survey, Christopher M. Cullenreveals Bonaventure as a great synthesizer, whose system of thought bridged the gap between theology and philosophy. The book is organized according to the categories of Bonaventure's own classic text, De reductione artium ad theologiam. Cullen follows Bonaventure's own division of the branches of philosophy and theology, analyzing them as separate but related entities. He shows that Bonaventure was ascholastic, whose mysticism was grounded in systematic theological and philosophical reasoning. He presents a fresh and nuanced perspective on Bonaventure's debt to Augustine, while clarifying Aristotle's influence. Cullen also puts Bonaventure's ideas in context of his time and place, contributingsignificantly to our understanding of the medieval world. This accessible introduction provides a much-needed overview of Bonaventure's thought. Cullen offers a clear and rare reading of "Bonaventurianism" in and for itself, without the complications of critique and comparison. This book promises to become a standard text on Bonaventure, useful forstudents and scholars of philosophy, theology, medieval studies, and the history of Christianity.

Author Biography

Christopher M. Cullen is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University.

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations	p. xvii
The Love of Wisdom
Introduction	p. 3
Christian Wisdom	p. 23
The Light of Philosophical Knowledge
Natural Philosophy: Physics	p. 39
Natural Philosophy: Metaphysics	p. 60
Moral Philosophy	p. 91
The Light of Theological Knowledge
The Triune God	p. 113
The Creation of the World	p. 128
The Corruption of Sin	p. 134
The Incarnation of the Word	p. 141
Grace	p. 153
The Sacramental Cure	p. 165
The Last Things	p. 177
Notes	p. 187
Bibliography	p. 219
Index	p. 237
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