This is the first English translation of St. Bonaventure's Collationes de septem donis Spiritus Sanctus to appear in print. The Collationes were the next-to-last of the Seraphic Doctor's major writings, dating to 1268. This translation is similarly a crowning achievement for Fr. Zachary Hayes, a pre-eminent commentator on Bonaventure's thought for the last four decades. Scholars of medieval theology and of Bonaventure in particular will find a treasure trove here, thanks to the flowing translation of Fr. Hayes. Ample footnotes citing ancient philosophers, biblical texts, ancient Christian writers and contemporary scholars provide a rich resource for further study. Those interested in the contemporary question of how faith relates to reason will especially welcome the final two conferences - or, collations, on understanding and wisdom, in which Bonaventure wrestles with that same issue in the framework of this thought and times. Gil Ostdiek, O.F.M., Catholic Theological Union.

Many of us fail to recognize that obtaining the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential to getting to heaven. We often block their reception through our own faults. We fail to see how they are passed on or strengthened in the sacraments. And, sadly, we forget to petition God in prayer to bestow these gifts upon us. In these pages, Dr. Kevin Vost — best-selling author of The One-Minute Aquinas — provides us with a substantive yet readable introduction to the seven gifts and how we can humbly submit our wills to the stirrings of the Holy Spirit. As Dr. Vost explains, these God-given gifts help us to conform our lives to His image, intellect and will. They prevent us from being drawn into frustration – and possibly self-destruction – by following our own sensual appetites. Indeed, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are the only path to being fully happy on earth and in the life to come. With St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Bonaventure as his guides, Dr. Vost introduces you to the special charism of the Holy Spirit before explaining each gift one by one. You’ll discover the special meaning behind each of the natural and theological virtues, and you’ll learn the indispensible link between the seven gifts and the Beatitudes. You’ll also learn: How the seven gifts differ from the fruits of the Holy Spirit.The three ways to perfect fear of the Lord.The one sacrament that helps you fortify fortitude – it’s not the one you think.How the gift of knowledge differs from the gift of understanding.The seven steps to unwrapping – and sharing – each of the Holy Spirit’s gifts.The greatest of the seven gifts – and why you must possess it to attain heaven.Are the seven gifts habits we must develop, or does the Holy Spirit instill the habits in us? Don’t let another year go by without unwrapping and enjoying the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Read this book, and then accept the seven gifts the Holy Spirit so desperately wants to give you.

Western theology is frequently criticized for not having a fully developed pneumatology. According to these critics, preoccupation with Christology and an excessive focus on the nature and unity of God have come at the expense of a full theology of the three persons. While admitting that there is some truth to these criticisms, Elizabeth Dreyer maintains that those who level them base their conclusions on a narrow range of texts and thus fail to establish a true neglect of the Holy Spirit. Medieval authors offer a wealth of creative language and insight that speaks to the role of the Holy Spirit in contemporary spirituality and contributes to a renewed pneumatology for the twenty-first century. Book jacket.

In this volume, Randall B. Smith provides a revisionist account of the scholastic culture that flourished in Paris during the High Middle Ages. Exploring the educational culture that informed the intellectual and mental habits of Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure, he offers an in-depth study of the prologues and preaching skills of these two masters. Smith reveal the intricate interrelationships between the three duties of the master: lectio (reading), disputatio (debate), and praedicatio (preaching). He also analyzes each of Aquinas and Bonaventure's prologues from their student days to their final works, revealing both their artistry and their instructional character. Written in an engaging style, this book serves as an invaluable resource that will enable scholars and students to read thirteenth-century sermons, prologues, and biblical commentaries with greater understanding and ease.

Historian Joseph Chinnici served as provincial superior of the Franciscan Friars in California when the order was touched by clergy sexual abuse, several years before it became a national scandal. Blending a historian's skill and dispassion with his own very relevant experiences in a fraught atmosphere, he provides a rare look at what happened then and what must happen now, to re-establish confidence and trust. "If Catholics are to learn from this mess and set forth on the path of healing and renewal, they would do well to pay close attention to Father Chinnici's astute analysis and evaluation of the greatest challenge to Romanc Catholicism in decades, if not centuries." -R. Scott Appleby, University of Notre Dame "There is no better analysis of church leadership and the sexual abuse scandals....Chinnici's [study] is theologically grounded, psychologically informed, and thoroughly pastoral." -Donald Cozzens, author, the Changing Face of the Priesthood "No one is better qualified to draw enduring lessons from the clergy sexual abuse crisis than Joseph Chinnici. Priest, historian, and administrator, he offers his own knowledge and experience to help the Church restore the shattered bonds of trust. This book is an important contribution toward healing." -James M. O'Toole, Boston College "In my estimation, [this] is a great contribution to the Church's reflection on sexual abuse scandals in the Church. The experience of Father Chinnici, as a Provincial Minister of the Franciscan Friars, and his reflections based on his Franciscan heritage are a most valuable insight into the challenges of leadership in these times." -Most Reverend John F. Kinney, Bishop of St. Cloud

This is a thorough study and exposition of the last work for which St Bonaventure was responsible before his death in 1274. The Collations on the Hexaemeron, also called The Illuminations of the Church comprises lectures that he gave in Paris in 1273 to Franciscan and other students and masters in the university there. They were recorded by two independent witnesses and one version, the definitive one, was prepared for publication and approved by Bonaventure. This is one of the most interesting, original and important texts of medieval theology and it has been well translated and edited in a new edition. The purpose of this study is to examine the precise context for the approach that Bonaventure took, to place this work as the culmination of his spiritual theology, and to provide the reader with a lucid epitome of the contents of the text, drawing out their significance for theology and prayer in the life of the Church today.

This book is a response to the growing recognition of Receptive Ecumenism as a concept and process that has the potential to bring about the greater flourishing of the Church, both within denominations and across the Church universal.