'THE COINCIDENCE OF OPPOSITES' WITH REGARD TO ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI AS A THEOLOGIAN SR. CLARE BERNADETTE KNOWLES FMSL (BA, MA) DIRECTOR OF STUDIES & SECOND SUPERVISOR (Professor Johannes Hoff & Dr. Séamus Mulholland OFM) Collaborating Establishment: Franciscan International Study Centre STATEMENT: This research was undertaken under the auspices of the University of Wales: Trinity Saint David and was submitted in partial fulfilment for the award of a Degree of MPhil, PhD, DMin by Research (or by Published Works if applicable) in the School of Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies of the University of Wales.
MONTH AND YEAR OF SUBMISSION: (December 2012) DECLARATION SHEET – this sheet MUST be signed and included within the thesis This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. STATEMENT 1 This thesis is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. Where correction services have been used, the extent and nature of the correction is clearly marked in a footnote(s). Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references.
A bibliography is appended. STATEMENT 2 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Abstract The consideration of St. Francis of Assisi as a theologian has gained popularity in the latter half of the twentieth century, emerging from new scholarly interest in his writings.i However, this view of the saint still lacks a general acceptance in Franciscan studies.
Historically, certain factors have discouraged scholars from describing Francis as a theologian. Perhaps the greatest of these obstacles were his basic level of education and the 'fragmentary' nature of his body of writings.ii These last two issues will be addressed in the present study. Francis was not trained as a scholar and did not set out his ideas systematically, or in an academic style. His authentic works consist of around thirty relatively brief texts in various genres.
They were composed in response to diverse situations he encountered in the course of his religious life. These characteristics of his writings have made it difficult to construct a complete picture of his theology. To do this, as Thaddée Matura has observed, it is necessary to find a 'key' which links and unifies the thought in these diverse texts. iii The present research employs the idea of 'the coincidence of opposites' as a tool for this task.
This term, which first emerged in connection with Nicholas of Cusa's philosophy, was developed by Ewert Cousins, who applied it to the works of St. iv This mode of thought was intrinsic to Francis' outlook, as the present study will show. It can be used to reconnect the fragments of theology in his writings, and reveal the comprehensive vision which inspired them. By doing this, the present research will confirm Francis as a theologian, not in the professional sense, but in the wider sense of one who communicated, in words, a vision of all things in relation to God., 'Francis of Assisi - Theologian?' in: A., A Pilgrimage Through the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition (Canterbury, England, Franciscan International Study Centre, 2008) pp., Francis of Assisi: Early Documents (FA:ED), vol.
ii Nguyên-Van-Khanh, N., The Teacher of His Heart: Jesus Christ in the Thought and Writings of St. Bonaventure, NY, The Franciscan Institute, 1994) p. / Matura, 'Francis - Theologian?' p., Francis of Assisi:The Message in His Writings, P. Bonaventure, NY, St.
Bonaventure University, 1997, 2004) pp., Bonaventure and the Coincidence of Opposites: The Theology of Bonaventure (Chicago, Franciscan Herald Press, 1978) v Matura, 'Francis - Theologian?' p. This thesis is dedicated to my parents, Edward and Marie Knowles, and to my grandparents: Frank and Mary Knowles, Ronnie and Joan Bentley, with thanks to God. Acknowledgements I wish to thank Professor Johannes Hoff, Dr. Séamus Mulholland OFM and Dr.
Jonathan Wooding, for their expert supervisory guidance, help and support during this research process. I am indebted to Elizabeth Rikh for her extraordinary generosity and dedication in proof reading this thesis, and to Sr. Rose Arden-Close FMSL, for her appraisal of the fifth chapter. I owe special gratitude to my congregation, the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Littlehampton.
This research could not have been undertaken or completed without the generous support of all the FMSL. I also wish to thank Dr. Philippe Yates for helping me to embark on the project. Construction of the present thesis has been made possible by the earlier work of many writers, editors and translators who will be cited in the text.
To all the people who have encouraged and prayed for me in this endeavour, I wish to say a heartfelt 'thank you'. Finally, I would like to acknowledge Brother Francis of Assisi, whose life and works inspired this study and, as he taught, '.refer all good to the Lord, God Almighty and Most High, .from Whom all good comes.'vi vi Francis of Assisi, The Earlier Rule XVII, 17, in: FA:ED, vol. 76 Contents Introduction pp. 01-24 Thesis and aims 1 St.
Francis of Assisi the theologian 1 The coincidence of opposites 4 The writings of St. Francis of Assisi 20 Structure 23 Literature review pp. 25-58 Origins: four obstacles to the study of Francis' writings as theology 25 1) The personality cult of St. Francis 25 2) The theology of St.
Bonaventure 26 3) Francis' basic level of education 27 4) The 'fragmentary quality' of the writings 30 Foundational research on the writings of Francis 34 Growing interest in Francis' writings and theology 37 Previous attempts to reassemble the vision 40 Other relevant studies 47 Methodology 54 Contribution of the present research to its academic field 57 Chapter one: The coincidence of opposites in the Trinity pp. 59- 77 Unity-plurality/diversity 61 Diversity 62 Unity 65 'The highest good' 68 Alpha and Omega 68 The 'Most High': hidden and manifest 71 Conclusion 76 Chapter two: Jesus Christ the Mediator: universal centre pp. 78-97 A coincidence of Creator and creature 78 The ontological deficiency 79 The holiness deficiency 80 'True God and true man' 81 A coincident vision of Christ 83 Divine kenosis 87 The Mediator 91 Conclusion 96 Chapter three: Jesus Christ the Mediator: personal centre pp. 98-119 'All those who love the Lord.' 100 'who hate their bodies with their vices and sins,.' 101 'who receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ' 104 '.and who produce worthy fruits of penance' 106 'We are spouses.' 111 'The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon them.' 115 Conclusion 118 Chapter four: The coincidence of enemy and friend pp.
120-151 An inversion of vision 123 Jesus the exemplar of loving enemies 126 Enemies: visible and invisible 129 Visible enemies of the body 132 Invisible enemies of the body 134 Enemies of the spirit 135 The world 138 Reward/assistance 139 Appropriation 140 Friends of the spirit 141 Obedience 141 The virtues 143 'True and Perfect Joy' 146 Conclusion 148 Chapter five: What kind of theology? pp. 152-176 The question of mysticism and religious experience 152 The 'ecstatic' tone 154 Analysis of texts 157 The effect of the coincidence of opposites 171 Conclusion 174 Chapter six: Enlightened darkness: The Prayer Before The Crucifix pp. 177-192 'enlighten the darkness' 178 Light 178 Darkness 179 The heart 180 Summary 181 The visions of body and spirit 182 The hidden-manifest and Creator-creature coincidences 184 Christ as centre 186 The San Damiano Crucifix 186 Trinitarian/Christocentric? 189 Conclusion 190 Chapter seven: The Canticle of Brother Sun pp. 193-234 'Most High'=the Trinity 195 Hidden-manifest/Creator-creature 195 Unity-plurality 199 Unity-diversity 200 Human conversion 203 Enemy-friend 205 Christocentric humility/obedience 209 Alpha and Omega 222 Conclusion 226 Conclusions pp.
235-255 Approach to the topic 235 The coincidence of opposites as a tool 237 Originality in Francis' theology 239 Structural summaries 244 i. The San Damiano Crucifix 245 ii The anchor diagram 248 Possibilities for future research 250 Sr. Francis of Assisi: a theologian 253 Bibliography pp. 269-271 Abbreviationsvii Writings of Saint Francis Adm The Admonitions CtC The Canticle of the Creatures CtExh The Canticle of Exhortation 1LtCl The First Letter to the Clergy (Earlier Edition) 2LtCl The Second Letter to the Clergy (Later Edition) 1LtCus The First Letter to the Custodians 2LtCus The Second Letter to the Custodians 1LtF The First Letter to the Faithful 2LtF The Second Letter to the Faithful LtL A Letter to Brother Leo LtMin A Letter to a Minister LtOrd A Letter to the Entire Order LtR A Letter to the Rulers of the Peoples ExhP Exhortation to the Praise of God PrOF A Prayer Inspired by the Our Father PrsG The Praises of God OfP The Office of the Passion PrCr The Prayer before the Crucifix ER The Earlier Rule LR The Later Rule RH A Rule for Hermitages SalBVM A Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary SalV A Salutation of the Virtues Test The Testament TPJ True and Perfect Joy PrH The Praises To Be Said at All the Hours Sources for the Life of Saints Francis and Clare 2C The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul 2MP The Mirror of Perfection (The Sabatier Edition) L3C The Legend of the Three Companions LMj The Major Legend by Bonaventure AC The Assisi Compilation FA:ED Francis of Assisi: Early Documents CA:ED Clare of Assisi: Early Documents vii Taken from FA:ED, vol.
32, with the addition of 'PrH'. 1 Introduction Thesis and aims St. Francis of Assisi (1191/2-1226) was a theologian, since his writings drew upon a comprehensive, coherent and consistent theological vision. A key to understanding this vision is a thought structure known today as the 'coincidence of opposites'.
These propositions will be demonstrated through a study of the writings of Francis. By way of a general introduction, there will first be an explanation of what is meant by the terms 'theologian' and 'theological vision'. The term 'coincidence of opposites' will then be introduced, with a review of some authors' use of the concept. This will be followed by an introduction to Francis' body of written works, and the overall structure of the study will then be explained.
Francis of Assisi the theologian It must be acknowledged at the outset that Francis did not see himself as a theologian. In his Testament, he instructed the brothers of his Order: '.we must honour all theologians and those who minister the most holy divine words and respect them as those who minister to us spirit and life.'1 Francis described himself to the entire Order as 'ignorans et idiota', which has been translated as 'ignorant and stupid.'2 However, in the Middle Ages, this description had nothing to do with one's mental ability but translated as 'unlearned'.3 This self-assessment sprang from the fact that Francis' education was very basic. He had a rudimentary knowledge of Latin from his schooling in Assisi and could read and write, but not well. 4 Unlike most Christian writers of the medieval period, he did not have a clerical education and was never ordained as a priest.
5 Hence, he did not count himself among the learned of his day and those who had studied theology, such as Brother Anthony of Padua, to whom Francis gave permission to teach the brothers theology.6 In spite of Francis' modest self-image, he was renowned for 1 St. Francis of Assisi, The Testament (Test), in: R., Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, (hereafter, FA:ED) vol. All English translations of Francis' writings will be taken from this volume. 2 A Letter to the Entire Order (LtOrd) 39, FA:ED, vol., Francis of Assisi:The Message in His Writings, P.
Bonaventure, NY, St., Francis of Assisi, H. Francis of Assisi: Writings for a Gospel Life, Crossroad Spiritual Legacy Series (Slough, UK and Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland: St. 5 Matura, Francis:The Message, p.
6 A Letter to Brother Anthony of Padua, FA:ED, vol. 2 Christian wisdom during his lifetime, according to Thomas of Celano, who wrote his second biography of Francis around 1247.
