Bonaventure and Aquinas on God’s Existence: Points of Convergence

BONAVENTURE AND AQUINAS ON GOD'S EXISTENCE: POINTS OF CONVERGENCE HE CELEBRATION OF the seventh centenary of oth Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas in 1974 had as ne of its beneficial effects a great renewal of interest in the thought of each. This was manifested first of all by the presence of hundreds of participants from all parts of the world at the two Congresses which took place in Rome, the first at the "Angelicum" in April, and the second at the" Seraficum" in October. These Congresses also had the effect of stimulating an intensive study of the thought of the two great thirteenth century masters by the large number of philosophers and theologians who were present. This careful examination of their thought is certainly well merited, and especially in the case of Bonaventure, long overdue. What I should like to do in this paper is to single out for consideration a question which occupies a pivotal position in the thought of each, i. e. the problem of the demonstration of the existence of God, and to attempt to see the relationship of their respective approaches to this problem. In this way, by taking a question which is of central importance to each, it is to he hoped that our considerations here at the epicenter might more readily illuminate more peripheral issues. What, then, is the relationship between these two great doctors concerning the existence of God? Is there a fundamental and irreconcilaible difference between them, as some have maintained ,1 or is it, perhaps, that they are in substantial agreement 1 This would seem to be the position of Jean Chatillon for example in his excellent article, "De Guillaume d'Auxerre asaint Thomas d'Aquin: !'argument de saint Anselm chez les premiers scholastiques du XIIIe siecle," Spicilegium Beccense, (Paris: 1959), I, fl09-fl31. 585 586 THOMAS A. FAY but approach the question from different perspectives,. as others would have it? 2 Or are the approaches of the two 13th century masters so different that they simply cannot be compared, as others have claimed? 3 We shall attempt to find a solution to these questions and thus to .see the relationship between Bonaventure and Thomas on this question of the demonstration of the existence of God. We shall take the Bonaventurean approach to the proofs for God's existence as our methodological point of departure, and therefore, our procedure will be as follows: one,. we shall present a brief exposition of Bonaventure's position in order to afford us a point of departure and basis for comparison: and secondly, we shall examine in what sense, if any, his position would agree with that of the Angelic Doctor. * * * * In Bonaventure there are three principal lines of argument which demonstrate the existence of God.4 The first of these arguments rests upon the fact that the existence of God is a truth which is innate in the rational soul. As the Seraphic Doctor notes in De Mysterio Trinitatis: Concerning the first way we proceed thus, and it is shown both by authorities as well as by arguments that the existence of God is impressed on all rational minds.5 •This would seem to be the position of Anton Pegis in his very fine article, "The Bonaventurean Way to God," Medieval Studies, XXIX (1967), 206-24~. See also his study, "Four Medieval Ways to God," Monist, LIV (1970), 317-358. 3 The position taken by Gilson in his classic work on Bonaventure, La Philosophie de saint Bonaventure (Paris: Vrin, 1943), p. 118. • The three principal texts in which St. Bonaventure takes up the question of the demonstration of God's existence are the following: In I Sent., d. 8, p. 1, a. 1, q. 2: De Mysterio Trinitatis, q. 1, a. 1: ltinerarium Mentis in Deum, especially, c. 5. 5 "Circa igitur primam viam sic proceditur, et ostenditur tam auctoritatibus quam rationibus quod Deum esse sit omnibus mentibus rationalibus impressum." Questiones Disputatae de Mysterio Trinitatis, q. 1, a. I (S. Bonaventurae Opera Omnia, vol. V) (Quarrachi, 1891), 45. This edition of St. Bonaventure will be used throughout. The translations are my own. The Latin text is given so that comparison may be made with...