The Ecological Meaning of St. Bonaventure’s Theology of the Created World

Abstract

This thesis aims to determine how Bonaventure’s theology of the created world can be an illuminating eco-theological resource to promote ecological conversion by helping Christians reflect on the meaning and worth of the natural world. In exploring this project, there are two things to be noted: inherent anthropocentric limitations of his theology and today’s ecological context represented by both contemporary scientific views of the evolutionary natural world and recognition of the current ecological crisis. Accordingly, this thesis specifically seeks to retrieve and re-interpret the elements of Bonaventure’s theology that can influence human understanding and action regarding the natural world, employing Francis Schussler Fiorenza’s theory of a reconstructive hermeneutics. In response to inherent limitations of his thought, Chapter 2 explores whether Bonaventure’s theology of the created world is capable of upholding the value of creatures and awakening a human concern for them while having weak anthropocentric senses. This exploration is based on his Trinitarian theology because it is the underlying principle of his whole theological thought. Bonaventure’s Trinitarian doctrine of creation affirms that the whole of creation is the sacramental expression of the Trinity, is directly related to the Trinity by reason of being patterned on the Word and imprinted with Trinitarian footprints, and is a gift and a receiver of God’s love. These views underpin the value of all creatures. Chapter 3 examines whether such a positive understanding of creation can still be valid in Bonaventure despite his limited view of the fate of non-human creatures. Bonaventure’s Christocentric theology indicates that the whole of creation’s consummation through Christ incarnate involves materiality which non-human creatures hold in common with Christ and humanity. In addition, Bonaventure’s concept of redemptive-completion suggests that humanity should turn to right relationship with other-than-human creatures because the broken relationship with them, caused by human sin, is an impediment to God-intended completion for all creation. These implications can be said to support the significance of other creatures’ existence and a human concern for them. Chapter 4 addresses how Bonaventure’s theology of the created world can be re-interpreted in light of evolutionary scientific views of the natural world. Bonaventure’s theological vision of creation provides theological meaning for the diverse and relational reality of the natural world by seeing that such realities reveal the divine fecundity and spring from the divine relationality. Regarding inherent suffering in the evolutionary natural world, Bonaventure does not fully espouse the view of God’s redemptive co-suffering with creatures, as do contemporary theologians of deep incarnation. However, his theology contains meaningful elements which can be developed for such a view: the concepts of exemplarism, microcosm, medium mathematicum, and Christ as unifying centre. Chapter 5 discusses what theological insights into the natural world the encyclical Laudato Si’ presents, faced with contemporary ecological degradation, and how Bonaventure’s theology of the created world can contribute to the encyclical’s theologies. Laudato Si’ emphasises the intrinsic value of all creatures, their significance as God’s revelation and the call for a sublime communion with them. Elements of Bonaventure’s Trinitarian doctrine of creation and his view of human sin and the restoration of human relationships with creatures have relevance to the encyclical’s insights. In addition, Bonaventure’s theology can supplement the lack of a systematic theology of the incarnation and of theological consideration of evolutionary suffering in Laudato Si’, by means of the concept of Christ as the divine Word and the incarnate One. Chapter 6 summarises how the key arguments of Bonaventure’s theology can bring transformation to human thinking and action with regard to creatures. Humans are called to appreciate the aesthetic and spiritual values of creatures, to be sensitive towards suffering creatures and to be humble before the natural world with a sense of belonging to one creation community. With these attitudes, humans must take action to preserve living species and to uphold this creation community through a sustainable relationship with all species. Through these conclusions, this thesis argues that Bonaventure’s theology of the created world can still be used to guide praxis that leads to ecological conversion and commitment in this time of ecological crisis.