Brief Notices

Abstract

BRIEF NOTICES Hervaeus Natalis. The Poverty ofChrist and theApostles. Translated byJohn D. Jones. [Mediaeval Sources in Translation, 37; Studies in Moral Teaching, 2.] (Toronto: Pontifical Institute ofMediaeval Studies. 1999. Pp. Lx, 184. $28.95 paperback.) In 1322 and 1323 Pope John XXII issued a series of bulls rejecting the view of apostolic and Franciscan poverty held, not only by the spiritual Franciscans, but by leaders of the Franciscan order and by previous popes as well. The Franciscans did not surrender without a fight, and the result was a large body of polemical material. Here JohnJones translates two contributions to the debate: first and foremost, a treatise by the illustrious Dominican scholar Hervaeus Natalis supporting the pope's position; and then, in an appendix, a contemporary scribe's summary of arguments to the contrary presented by eight Franciscan scholars including the major figures Bertrand de la Tour andVital du Four.Jones prefaces the translations with a useful introduction tracing the evolution of the controversy and analyzing Hervaeus' treatise. His comments on the divergence of Hervaeus from his purported model, Thomas Aquinas, are especially instructive . Jones explains that he has attempted "to provide a fairly direct, rather than a highly idiomatic, translation of the Latin text," one that "captures Hervaeus' analysis and language in a precise and appropriately literal manner." Anyone who has translated scholastic Latin knows that unremitting commitment to literal translation can result in prose that, instead of being precise, seems absolutely opaque to the modern reader, and it is toJones's credit that he normally avoids this result, although there are moments when one wishes he had diverged a bit from this program and followed his sense of what Hervaeus actually meant to say. David Burr Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, Virginia 564 BRIEF NOTICES365 Polzer, Charles W, SJ. Kino:A Legacy: His Life, His Works, His Missions, His Monuments. (Tucson, Arizona: Jesuit Fathers of Southern Arizona. 1998. Pp. x, 198; one folding map. Paperback.) Kino:A Legacy appears to have been a labor of love for its author, Charles W. Polzer, SJ. A long-time Arizona resident, Father Polzer is curator ofThe Arizona State Museum, directs the American Division of the Jesuit Historical Institute in Tucson, and served on the Christopher Columbus QuincentenaryJubilee Commission . This biography seems to have a role in the effort to bring about the beatification of Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino, SJ. After a four-page summary of his birth and education in Europe, the next ninety pages of the biography are very detailed reports of Kino's trip to America , his unsuccessful efforts to start missions in Baja California, and his exploratory , diplomatic, architectural, and mission success in Pimería Alta. The second half of the book includes sections on PimeríaAlta before and after Kino, the Franciscans' era, and recent eras of discovering, preserving, and honoring Kino's remains. The book ends with a chapter on Kino representations in art. Unfortunately, the biography does not have any citations or an index and contains only a brief list of suggested readings. In addition to providing details of Kino's life and work, the book includes many maps,with two maps made by Kino,and numerous photographs. The text is easy to read, and Polzer has made Kino's life an interesting story. Even with sections on context, however, this biography is obviously sympathetic to Kino, using his own diary as the primary source, and the reader is left to look elsewhere for an understanding of the Pirnas' circumstances and reasons for allying with the Spanish and adopting Christianity. Native peoples contributed immensely to Kino's explorations as key informants and guides, as well as servants . Native laborers constructed his huge churches and Pima warriors protected his wealthy missions. Kino's contemporary detractors, whether within the Society of Jesus, such as Father Francisco Xavier Mora, or civil authorities and Sonora miners are dismissed as having personality weaknesses or selfish motivations. Father Kino's familiar story survives: He was the padre on horseback, traveling great distances quickly even in old age; persistently exploring regions and routes unfamiliar to Europeans; devoting himselfto Christianize and minister to native people; and optimistically persevering with prolific letter-writing...