Saint Bonaventure (1221–1274)

A deceitful lackey of the catholic church, a glorified life-hater, a misanthrope in the guise of a saint. Francis embodies all of these personalities at the same time, and his sheer disdain for the world permeates the whole book from the first page of the volume down to the last line, while Bonaventure tries to frame his life as a prime example of ideal path to follow as a Christian. The schizophrenic bouts which the poor Francis is victim of are a part of his daily routine, and these show more frequent visions of YAWEH are the motivating force that feed his loathsome disposition and enkindle the fire of insanity within his young mind. Much like the majority of the clergy in the middle ages, his words carry as much value and significance as a North Korean press release, but this time Bonaventure goes out of his way to idolize and shower with compliments Francis almost as Yeshua Ben Yosef, the founder of judeo-christianity, contributing to the overall tediousness of the book. show less

This book pretty much concludes my studies on the Trinity for the time being. I have now read Hilary's, Augustine's, Richard of St. Victor's and Bonaventure's books dedicated to the Trinity. Bonaventure's was probably the most exacting intellectually. His work largely centers around difficulties in the doctrine and addresses oppositional points. It is a really good book if one wants to know how to address just about any criticism that could be voiced against the doctrine of the Trinity. show more There's quite a bit of Aristotelianism in here and that doesn't always make for an overly enjoyable read -indeed, sometimes a downright tedious one. Most of the Aristotelian terminology is difficult when you are 1) not proficient in Aristotle, and 2) not aware of the issues regarding Aristotelian concepts in the middle ages. I have read a fair amount of Plato, but I have not read Aristotle; although, I am familiar with his philosophy. I am more aligned with the Platonism of the Dominican mystics than the Aristotelianism of the Franciscan philosophers. That being said, there are some philosophical concepts that would probably make Aristotle a necessary study for me in the future. But it'll have to wait till after I finish Plotinus.
As it stands, this was a good book to finish my study with. It dealt with oppositional points and that is an excellent supplement to my previous reading. Bonaventure addresses those points succinctly and astutely; and any Christian who wants to be able to handle those critical questions would do well to read this book. Be warned though, it might take some effort to really attune one's apprehension to antiquated concepts. show less

An absolutely awesome work regarding women within the whole of the church. Written by a vowed woman of the church, whose scholarly skills are well articulated here. Within these pages are some astounding and quite revealing factors regarding variant women within the church and just how they are to be understood and acknowledged.

The Triple Way by the great Franciscan Doctor of the Church, St. Bonaventure (1217-1274), is often called the Summa of spiritual theology, a classic which has had and continues to have great influence in the theory and cultivation of the interior life of prayer and penance. This translation with notes by Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner, F.I., is prefaced by a lengthy introduction and followed by several appendices illustrating the influence of Sts. Bernard and Anselm on the Seraphic Doctor. The show more editor is at pains to point out the Marian character of this great work seldom treated by other studies of it. show less