Saint Cardinal Bonaventure - Commentary on the sentences: sacraments

This volume XVII of the Bonaventure Texts in Translation Series, Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard: Sacraments, began some years ago with a phone call from Sister Margaret Carney, then director of the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University and now president of that same university. She had initially asked for a Theological Reader of texts taken from the four volumes of Bonaventures Commentary on the Sentences. Upon further consideration and consultation, this was deemed inadvisable, since Bonaventures texts would have been taken out of textual context.

At that time I was conducting at Saint Louis University a graduate seminar on Bonaventures theology of sacraments, and students suggested the project should begin there. Thus we began drafts of translation and annotation of the treatise on the sacraments found in Book Four of the Commentary on the Sentences. The goal was to attend to the integrity of Bonaventures theological development, choosing all the important theological questions, following the criteria Bonaventure himself identifies in his Breviloquium.

This translation on the sacraments of Book Four continued to develop over several years, always in the context of conversation with graduate students. It became a collaborative project. One who initially helped us dive into this text was my confrere and former teacher, Friar Peter Nickels OFM Conv. He had been trained in Scripture and loved ancient languages of sacred texts. His work helped us get started, and we thereby overcame the fear of this long and sometimes trying process. He did not live to see the completion of our work, and so we have dedicated this volume to his memory.

Rev. Timothy R. LeCroy, then graduate student and now a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Saint Louis University, was the first actually to probe with me more deeply into these texts of Book Four of the Sentence Commentary. For two years we spent hours each week before text and computer to produce what we now hope is a faithful yet readable translation accompanied by explanatory footnotes about the text. Those two years of working together are now memorable days of joyous and mutual communion with each other and with Friar Bonaventure, even amidst our debates or hefty arguments over a word or a phrase. With the permission of Dr. Timothy J. Johnson at Flagler College, we have incorporated a translation of the Prooemium to Book Four found in his edited volume, Bonaventure: Mystic of Gods Word (Franciscan Institute Press).

Mr. Luke Davis Townsend, then graduate student and now Ph.D. candidate, subsequently joined the project for the next two years. After taking inspiration from a seminar paper researched by then graduate student Elissa Cutter on Bonaventures use of St. Augustine, we together began a study of the earlier sources Bonaventure utilized. As carefully as we could, we tracked down and presented again in the notes many earlier texts. Lukes computer and research skills made much of this possible.

The three of us then worked together in the research and the writing of the various introductions, which we hope will help the reader with insight, namely the insight we three have shared, to approach the historical and theological context. May this work help in reading Bonaventures text carefully and critically.

Finally, as we acknowledged a friar biblical scholar at the beginning of this project, we do so again at the end of this project. Friar Robert Karris OFM, general editor of this series, checked and double checked our work, nearly every word of the translation and then all the annotations including the citations. Without his tedious work, the final text would not have the academic quality we believe it does. His findings and suggestions were most helpful.

As no work of this type can be accomplished without institutional support, the editors thank Saint Louis University for library resources and financial support of graduate students. Furthermore, the School of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America, provided me, as visiting scholar, several months of space and time simply to review and ponder this text and translation. During those months, the companionship of friend, colleague and confrere, Professor Regis Armstrong OFM Cap. was much appreciated. During several summers, my Franciscan brothers at the Sankt Anna Franziskaner Kloster in Mnchen, Germany offered similar space and encouragement. Finally, we are grateful to Rosemary Jermann, Jill M. Smith, and Andrea Westerlund for assistance in preparing the manuscript for publication. Deo Gratias.

J. A. Wayne Hellmann OFM Conv.

Saint Louis University

St. Louis, MO