St. Bonaventure on God and Philosophy

St. Bonaventure, an intellectual in the 13th century whose ideas are formed by Augustinian principles and whose Franciscan vocation defined his sanctity, is regarded as a mystic of first rank. Declared by Pope Leo XIII as the “Prince of Mystics,” his writings have influenced prominent spiritual writers across the ages. Considering these things, can we really consider St. Bonaventure a philosopher? Was he able to contribute something in the progress of the philosophical sciences? It is the purpose of this paper to lay out St. Bonaventure’s understanding of what philosophy is and how it is essentially grafted to faith, particularly to the Christian faith. My intention is fairly a simple one, to present the arguments of the Seraphic Doctor and offer a viable interpretation palatable in our own time. Indeed, it is my objective to prove that St. Bonaventure’s philosophy is a reflection of the mind’s progressive mental exercise leading towards the knowledge of God. It is not a cold philosophical speculation, rather, it is a loving contemplation which, if it has the rigor of philosophic reasoning, also have the warmth of mystical contemplation. The truth is sought by the intellect and further strengthened by the anxiety of love to embrace with intensity the object known. Only under this condition that knowledge brings us closer to God, only in this way that the mind is truly on a journey towards God. A man may have the clearest ideas about God and still be far from Him. St. Bonaventure insists that knowledge of God is incomplete unless it is also founded on admiration and authentic love.