Words Made Flesh: Essays Honoring Kenan B. Osborne, O.F.M.

Bonaventure’s Anthropology and Ecclesiology as a universal approach towards a vision of a globalized world

BonaVEnturE’s antHroPology and EcclEsiology as a uniVErsal aPProacH toWards a Vision oF a gloBaliZEd World JoHannEs B. FrEyEr 1 tHE PHEnoMEnon oF gloBaliZation The fact that we have come together this day – from so many different countries and continents – in order to exchange ideas about what Franciscan tradition is – is itself an expression of globalization. Even in the fields of philosophical, theological and spiritual reflection globalization is leading towards a worldwide integration. Globalization is drawing us towards a world, an international movement, of ideas, people and material goods.1 The essence of globalization consists, therefore, in the free exchange of ideas, people and material goods. Constantly increasing, such an exchange of ideas, people and material goods is leading towards forms of reciprocal bonding and integration; it furthers interactions and networking, but it is also bringing us into structures of mutual dependency. The free flow presupposes liberalization and the eventual disappearance of territorial limits. 1 Cf. Ulrich Beck, Was ist Globalisierung, (Frankfurt aM.: Suhrkamp, 2007); Cf. Bernd Meier, Technischer Fortschritt und Mobilität: neue Herausforderungen durch die Globalisierung (Köln: Dt. Inst.-Verl., 1997). Words Made Flesh: essays honoring Kenan osborne 124 National borders, once permanently fixed, are losing their significance. Normally, what we understand by the term globalization is, above all else, the free and untrammeled exchange of goods, the creation of a global free market, and that implies a parallel worldwide standardization. This is leading towards an imposition of cultural norms within a worldwide global system. In addition to the market globalization must be added the contribution made by the high-speed transmission of information and news reports. This has the result that distance and remoteness are, in effect, abolished; time and space will have to be reassessed; a nation’s internal and external affairs are converging. A new internationalism is on the rise. Local events are being played out upon the world stage and are having an impact and influence far beyond current national borders.Whether globalization is showing more negative or more positive aspects is the subject of heated debate at the moment. But it cannot be denied that the current form of globalization is characterized by features that are overwhelmingly economic in their nature, which results in a marked change in the role and image of the individual human being. No longer is the individual as a ‘social being’ at the center, but is regarded only in the function of producer and consumer. This is not to deny that globalization has many positive achievements to its credit. However, the negative effects are apparently gaining the upper hand. The spread of the free market is not an unmixed blessing for everyone, but it heavily favors a limited number of nation states and transnational companies.2 Liberalization of the market has been forced upon many countries and this enforced liberalization often goes hand in hand with military and intellectual dominance. In place of growth and a balanced relationship for all, it seems that globalization is bringing in its train an increase in inequality and an ever more rampant economic speculation. 2 Cf. Joseph E. Stiglitz, Making Globalization Work (New York: Norton & Company, 2006). Johannes Freyer 125 The mobility that globalization engenders is becoming more and more a mass migration. Democratic values are being weakened, and the social regulatory influence of the state is being rendered ineffective. It is becoming more and more obvious that globalization cannot be left to market forces alone. Untrammeled economic globalization and liberalization require a counterweight that only an ethical globalization can provide, a globalization that furthers equal rights for all, mutual respect, shared values, recognized codes of conduct, common standards when making value judgments, and a universal willingness to take on responsibility. It is expected that, at this level of an ethical globalization of values, religion will be required to make its contribution. For religion to exercise any sort of effective intervention in this process there will be need for deep intellectual and thoughtful reflection; in effect, there will be a process of theologically-based thinking. I would like to start these considerations underpinned by a theological substratum by casting a look upon our Franciscan tradition: I would like to ask what theological indicators for a humane globalization can be found in this tradition of ours, what are these indicators that will be capable of inspiring and enthusing us. In doing so we must be aware that the term globalization...