The Journey of the Soul into God: Itinerarium Mentis in Deum

Preface

7 St. Bonaventure’s Itinerarium mentis in Deum Preface The year 2001 marked the first centenary of the birth of Fr. Philotheus Boehner, O.F.M. Born in Lichtenau, Germany. Fr. Philotheus was a member of the Province of Saxony who came to Canada and then to the United States where he worked as one of the founding members of the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure’s College (now University) in New York. He died quite unexpectedly at the age of 54 in May of 1955. There can be little doubt that his work has played a major role in reviving an awareness of the great figures of the Franciscan medieval tradition in the English-speaking world. His courses on the history of the medieval Franciscans reached out in many directions through the students who were able to take part in them. For many, these courses opened a much richer reading of the great medieval period than was common during the twentieth century in a Catholic intellectual world dominated by a narrow vision of neo-Scholasticism. Those who knew Fr. Philotheus and experienced his lectures, courses, and writings, were deeply impressed with his reading of the work of St. Bonaventure whose spirit he seemed to embody in his own life and work. Toward the end of his life, much energy and work was going into the inauguration of a series of English translations known as Works of Saint Bonaventure. Among the many works of the greatSeraphicDoctor,onestandsoutasanexceptionaljewel:the 8 St. Bonaventure’s Itinerarium mentis in Deum Itinerarium mentis in Deum.The translation of this text together with a rich introduction and commentary which relates the text to the other works of Bonaventure and to the historical sources that played such a part in the development of his thought was an unfinished project at the time of the death of Fr. Philotheus. Fortunately Sr. Emma Jane Marie Spargo, S.N.J.M., who had worked on this project with Fr. Philotheus, was able to complete the task after his death. So it was that in 1956, the Franciscan Institute was able to publish a small volume of unusual richness thatbringstogethersomuchofthepreciousinsightofoneofthe great masters of Christian thought and spirituality and the vision of one of the outstanding modern interpreters of that work. Precisely because of the richness of this text it was felt that it should not simply appear in future catalogues as “out of print.” At the same time, because of the development of medieval studies in the intervening years and because of cultural changes that have taken place affecting English linguistic usages, the suggestion was made to provide a new printing of the volume that would contain all the commentary of Fr. Philotheus from the original edition together with a new translation of the Latin text. It is from that suggestion that the present volume has been developed. It is the hope of the publishers that this will remain a precious source for a serious introduction to the work of the SeraphicDoctorandanappropriatememorialoftheoutstanding work of Fr. Philotheus. Zachary Hayes, O.F.M. Catholic Theological Union Franciscan Institute ...