A Companion to Bonaventure ed. by Jay M. Hammond, J. A. Wayne Hellmann, and Jared Goff (review)

In their Introduction Hammond and Hellmann state the purpose of this superb volume. “…the editors hope this collection will point the way forward and encourage an even newer generation of scholars. As the eighth centenary of Bonaventure’s birth in 2017 approaches, may this collection of essays lay a foundation for future scholars to match, and even to surpass, in 2074, what was done in 1974” (pp. 2-3). The editors are pointing back to the two 1974 commemorative volumes that contained some 230 articles on Bonaventure and various aspects of his thought.

This volume of fifteen superior and generally long articles is divided into three parts: Foundations; Theology; Spirituality and Practice. The section, Foundations contains four articles: Marianne Schlosser, “Bonaventure: Life and Works” (9-59); Pietro Maranesi, “The Opera Omnia of Saint Bonaventure: History and Present Situation” (61-80); Gregory LaNave, “Bonaventure’s Theological Method” (81-120; Christopher M. Cullen, “Bonaventure’s Philosophical Method” (121-63). The second section, Theology, contains five articles: Jacques Guy Bougerol, “Bonaventure as Exegete” (167-87); Zachary Hayes, “Bonaventure’s Trinitarian Theology” (189-245); Joshua Benson, “The Christology of the Breviloquium” (247-87); David Keck, “Bonaventure’s Angelology” (289-332); J. A. Wayne Hellmann, “Bonaventure: On the Institution of Sacraments” (333-57). The third section, Spirituality and Practice, presents six articles: Ilia Delio, “Theology, Spirituality and Christ the Center Bonaventure’s Synthesis” (361-402); Timothy J. Johnson, “Bonaventure as Preacher” (403-34); Timothy J. Johnson, “The Legenda Minor” (435-51); Jay M. Hammond, “Bonaventure’s Legenda Major” (453-507); Kevin L. Hughes, “Bonaventure’s Defense of Mendicancy” (509-42); Dominic V. Monti, “Bonaventure as Minister General” (543-77). Editors have adjusted the essays by Bougerol and Hayes. The volume concludes with an inadequate Index (579-88).

Absent from this collection of very rich essays are ones on Bonaventure’s Mariology and theological anthropology. On page 4 the editors acknowledge this and write: Bonaventure’s “theological anthropology is necessary to complete his Christology and his Mariology is necessary to understand the descent of the Spirit upon the Church. Perhaps these lacunae might be filled in the near future.”

All of these essays are of superior quality. I would judge that the articles by David Keck, Joshua Benson, and Jay M. Hammond are a notch above because of their clarity of organization and expression. Surely these essays admirably meet the stated goal of this volume: to prepare future scholars.

This book appears in the series “Brill’s Companion to the Christian Tradition.” This series bears the subtitle: “A series of handbooks and reference works on the intellectual and religious life of Europe, 500-1800.” What does an educated member of the Franciscan Family do with this book, if she or he can afford it? In my opinion the Index is too skimpy to help this person find what Bonaventure says, for example, about “will” or to find on what pages Ilia Delio speaks about the key role of perscrutatio in Bonaventure’s thought or to find the pages which discuss Romano Guardini as an important figure in early twentieth century Bonaventurian studies or how Bonaventure interprets John 1:1-18. What this book does afford enterprising members of the Franciscan Family is this: the ready means of preaching, teaching, and counseling a Franciscan vision of God, Jesus, the Sacraments, etc. Joshua Benson’s essay on the Christology of the Breviloquium would be absolutely marvelous for a course on Christology in the Bonaventurian tradition. J.A. Wayne Hellmann’s essay on the Institution of the Sacraments would supplement very well what the Catholic Catechism says about the Sacraments. Ilia Delio’s essay would provide the means of delving into the riches of Franciscan spirituality. Besides, her essay would challenge all teachers and preachers to assimilate into their...