Truth and Reality

This is a thorough study and exposition of the last work for which St Bonaventure was responsible before his death in 1274. The Collations on the Hexaemeron, also called The Illuminations of the Church comprises lectures that he gave in Paris in 1273 to Franciscan and other students and masters in the university there. They were recorded by two independent witnesses and one version, the definitive one, was prepared for publication and approved by Bonaventure. This is one of the most interesting, original and important texts of medieval theology and it has been well translated and edited in a new edition. The purpose of this study is to examine the precise context for the approach that Bonaventure took, to place this work as the culmination of his spiritual theology, and to provide the reader with a lucid epitome of the contents of the text, drawing out their significance for theology and prayer in the life of the Church tod255p ay.



by Douglas Dales



Preface 1 Introduction The Context I Bonaventure & the Bible 2 Wisdom & Love 3 The Mystery of Revelation II Bonaventure & the Fathers 4 Augustine 5 The Medieval Fathers 6 Dionysius III Bonaventure & the Franciscan Crisis 7 Apostolic Poverty 8 Joachim of Fiore 9 The Use & Abuse of Aristotle Reading the Text 10 The Corner Stone - Collation 1 11 The Path to Wisdom - Collation 2 12 The Word of God - Collation 3 13 Towards Understanding - Collations 4 & 5 14 The Limits of Philosophy - Collations 6 & 7 15 Faith seeking Understanding - Collations 8 & 9 16 Discerning the Nature of God - Collations 10, 11 & 12 17 Reading Scripture - Collations 13 & 14 18 Patterns in Scripture & History - Collations 15 & 16 19 The Paradise of the Soul - Collations 17 & 18 20 Sapientia Amorosa - Collation 19 21 The Vision of God - Collations 20 & 21 22 The Church & the Soul - Collation 22 23 Image & Likeness - Collation 23 Envoi 24 The Mirror of St Bonaventure