Scotus for Dunces: An Introduction to the Subtle Doctor

Preface

5 INTRODUCTION Preface This English introduction to the thought of John Duns Scotus by Mary Beth Ingham is a most welcome text, filling as it does a definite need. After a well-written opening chapter on the life and literary works of the Subtle Doctor, the author arranges her presentation of Scotus’s principal doctrines in three core chapters. Entitled Creation, Covenant and Communion, these chapters provide excellent insight into the work of Scotus and will be quite helpful to those seeking a point of entry into his complex thought. Although Scotus’s philosophy cannot be sharply separated from his theological concerns, the chapter on creation nevertheless contains those distinctive aspects of his thought that are most philosophical in nature. The chapter on the covenant, by contrast, is primarily theological, dealing with Scotus’s belief that Christ’s incarnation was not primarily intended as a remedy of original sin, but intended for its own sake. Another chapter , “Communion,” deals with humanity’s goal as sharing the inner life of love of the Blessed Trinity and how this influences our life on earth.The final chapter,“Reading ScotusToday,” shows not only the relevance but also the wisdom of rethinking the central human questions of our day in light of the assumptions that underlay Scotus’s own solutions to these questions. Not only does Ingham present these excellent thematic explications , she also provides appendices containing English ver- 6 SCOTUS FOR DUNCES sions of Scotus’s writings, a wonderful resource for introducing readers to his literary style and profound thought. Gathered together in this way, they are a major contribution to academic discourse. In a previous work, Ingham emphasized how an artistic paradigm colors the thought of Scotus: the notion of beauty as a moral category runs like a leitmotif throughout his ethics.Without abandoning that perspective, she now reveals how another significant aspect of the subtle Duns - namely, his Franciscan ideals - unifies his seemingly random distinctive ideas. After reading Scotus for Dunces:An Introduction to the Subtle Doctor, one better appreciates why Pope Paul VI once wrote in Alma Parens: “Saint Francis of Assisi’s most beautiful ideal of perfection and ardor of Seraphic Spirit are embedded in the work of Scotus and inflame it.” Allan B. Wolter, O.F.M. Professor Emeritus St. Anthony Friary St. Louis, Missouri April, 2003 ...