Our Relational World Today: Exploring the Wisdom of St. Bonaventure

It was a major honor to have been invited by F. Edward Coughlin, the Director of the Franciscan Institute, to deliver the 2013 Ignatius Brady Lecture at St. Bonaventure University. Ignatius Brady was a major Franciscan scholar from the Cincinnati province whose academic focus was on the medieval period at the time of Francis and Clare. Ignatius Brady was highly instrumental in making Franciscan Studies a part of the American scene. The lecture, therefore, honors both Edward Coughlin and Ignatius Brady. Unfortunately, due to a sudden illness, I was unable to deliver the lecture. However, the following pages contain the text, and its publication in Franciscan Studies continues to honor Ignatius Brady.