Foreword

FOREWORD The present volume of Franciscan Studies contains papers given in conjunction with the International Colloquium on the Thought and Writings of William of Ockham held at St. Bonaventure University on October 10-12, 1985. This issue deals with topics related to Ockham's epistemology and metaphysics. The editors dedicate this issue of Franciscan Studies to Fr. Gedeon Gal, O.F.M., to celebrate his knowledge of"things medieval." He has directed the critical edition of the philosophical and theological works of William of Ockham to its successful completion. Because of his productivity and erudition, the faculty and administration ofthe Franciscan Institute and St. Bonaventure University have been honored to be counted as his associates. Although Fr. Gedeon has never been a teacher ex professo, hardly a day passes on which we, his colleagues, fail to learn something from him. The so-called "rational method" which he has consistently practiced over his 40 year career ofmedieval textediting continues to be one of the best hermeneutical approaches to present-day editing of medieval texts. Fr. Gedeon's interesting lecture on this subject will be presented in the next issue ofFranciscan Studies. The first article in this present issue is a vita Patris Gedeonis written by our colleague Rega Wood. Thereafter we are publishing the congratulatory messages to Fr. Gedeon and his collaborators on the occasion ofthe celebration of the seven hundredth centenary of Ockham 's birth and the completion of the critical edition of his theological and philosophical works. ...