Conventual Franciscans - Franciscans.org

Franciscan Intellectual Tradition

How odd to associate an intellectual tradition with Francis of Assisi who, in a letter to all of his friars described himself as an "ignorant and uneducated person." On the other hand, how does one account for the impact that Francis of Assisi had on the likes of Bonaventure, Duns Scotus, and William of Ockham, who were outstanding "professional theologians" and each of whom acknowledged Francis' impact on their scholarship?

A Dominican scholar who at first deferred to other learned scholars in the area asked Francis about a controversial text in the Book of Ezekiel. The Dominican made this comment in response to the opinion Francis, the 'ignorant and uneducated person,' finally gave: "My brothers, the theology of this man, held aloft by purity and contemplation is a soaring eagle, while our learning crawls on its belly on the ground."

Bernard McGinn, a specialist in medieval thought, suggested the term "vernacular theology" to articulate the impact of Francis' thought and writings on the scholastic and monastic theology of the times, such as that of the aforementioned Dominican.

Francis of Assisi always considered theology to be a practical science - that is, that theology cannot be content with the intellectual 'knowing' the truth about God; the will must come to choose God as its true and lasting good . This belief sprang from Francis' deepest conviction. Brother Leo remembered Francis as saying: "A person has only as much knowledge as he or she can put into practice; and a religious is as good a teacher as his or her actions show." Francis believed that we do not really know something until our head knowledge penetrates our heart and guts so that we approach our life in the world in a different way.

Resources for Franciscan Studies:

The three volume, plus Index: Francis of Assisi: Early Documents (The Saint; The Founder; The Prophet), eds. Armstrong, Hellmann, Short; New City Press, 1999-2002

http://www.sbu.edu/FranciscanInstitute.aspx?id=1752

Biographies of St. Francis :

Francis: The Journey and the Dream , Murray Bodo
St. Francis of Assisi , G.K. Chesterton
St. Francis of Assisi: A Biography, Omer Englebert
God's Fool: The Life and Times of Francis of Assisi , Julien Green
Francis for Men: 'Otherwise, We Need Weapons' , Markus Hofer

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Clare of Assisi , ca. 1193-1253, spiritual friend and mentor to St. Francis and founder of the Second Order of Franciscans, the Poor Clares. She was inspired by Francis' preaching and life. Rather than accept an arranged marriage, on Palm Sunday 1212 she ran away to join him and radically live the Gospel. As an act of acceptance, Francis cut her hair and in short time had her settled next to the church of San Damiano. Her sisters, Agnes and Beatris, and mother, Ortolana, later followed her into religious life. Clare's life was rooted in absolute poverty, a commitment she fiercely clung to despite opposition by the Church. She wrote her own Rule for the Poor Clares that was finally accepted just prior to her death.

Resource Links :

http://home.infionline.net/~ddisse/clare.html
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04004a.htm
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintc03.htm

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Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio , ca.1221-74, Doctor of the Church, Cardinal, Franciscan Friar. He entered the Franciscan Order in 1243 and taught at the highly regarded University of Paris. In 1257, he was elected minister general of the Franciscans and worked diligently to overcome the increasing divisions in the community. His leadership helped chart the course of the ever-growing Order that covered Europe and was expanding in Africa and Asia. He composed the Major and Minor Legends of Saint Francis as well as numerous other works. He encouraged the friars to be educated and to teach in universities, while maintaining the value of the vow of poverty.

Resource Links :

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02648c.htm

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/bonaventure/
http://www.questia.com/library/religion/christianity/history/middle-ages/stbonaventure.jsp?CRID=
st_bonaventure&OFFID=se1&KEY= saint_bonaventure&LID=15160099

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Angela of Foligno , ca. 1248-1309, was an Italian mystic and a member of the Third Order of St. Francis. After the death of her husband and children, she lived as a Franciscan tertiary. She wrote her Book of Visions and Instructions to share her process of conversion from a life of dreadful sin to her mystical marriage with God. She later formed a community of sisters in Foligno. She was beatified by Innocent XII in the 17th century. She is called Mistress of Theologians.

Resource Links :

http://home.infionline.net/~ddisse/angela.html
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta27.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01482a.htm

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John Duns Scotus , ca. 1266-1308, known as the Subtle Doctor, was a Franciscan theologian and philosopher. He was born in Scotland and studied at Oxford and Paris, and became the Franciscan chair in theology at the University of Paris. The year prior to his death, he was transferred to Cologne. He wrote on Peter Lombard’s Sentences , univocal predication, and is best known for arguing in favor of the Immaculate Conception. While some theologians did not accept this construct, Scotus attributed Mary's conception free of original sin through the grace of Christ. The teaching of the Immaculate Conception was declared Church dogma in 1854.

Resource Links :

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintj55.htm
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/SCOTUS.htm

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William of Ockham , ca. 1285-1347, was a Franciscan philosopher and theologian. He is best known for Ockham's razor, a principle that the simplest of competing theories is often best. He was called to Avignon to defend some of his theological teachings. At the encouragement of the Franciscan minister general, he studied the hotly debated topic "apostolic poverty" and came down in opposition to Pope John XXII's view. Along with the minister, he fled Avignon and eventually settled in Munich under the protection of the pope's rival.

Resource Links :

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ockham/
http://www.iep.utm.edu/o/ockham.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_of_Ockham

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Saint Maximilian Kolbe, 1894-1942, completed two doctorates, one in philosophy and the other in theology, at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Pontifical University of St. Bonaventure, respectively. A native of Poland, he founded the Militia Immaculata, an organization for the dispersion of the Word of God. Maximilian also understood the power of communication technology to spread the Lord's message to the farthest reaches of the planet. His use of radio and several printed publications brought many people closer to the Catholic faith. In the 1930s Maximilian spent time in Japan where he founded a friary. This friary is still active today. When World War II tore Europe apart, Maximilian sheltered 2000 Jews in his Niepokalanow friary. His radio station, he used to draw attention to the Nazis' real doings. In 1941, he died at the Auschwitz Death Camp after having volunteered to take the place of another prisoner. Pope John Paul II canonized Maximilian in 1982.

Resource Links :

http://www.franciscans.org/St.MaximilianKolbe.cfm
http://www.catholic-pages.com/saints/st_maximilian.asp

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St. Francis of Assisi -
His Life

Franciscan Spirituality

Franciscan
Intellectual Tradition