THEO2591: The Thought of St Bonaventure

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• To make students critically engage with key features of Bonaventures thought and spirituality and make them reflect on the significance of Bonaventures theology and spirituality for theology today.
• Through an engagement with the work and influence of Bonaventures thought to make students critically reflect on key theological issues, such as the understanding of God as Trinity and the human person; the Christian life of virtue; the relation between faith and reason, or between theory and practice; the nature of salvation; sanctification.

• This module will offer an in-depth exposition of key aspects of Bonaventures theology and spirituality, including topics such as: the nature of theology, the relation between faith and reason, Bonaventures understanding of the Trinitarian God, theology of creation, sin, grace and sacraments, and eschatology.
• These topics will be studied in light of Bonaventures historical context in general, and his Franciscan vocation in particular.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• A systematic understanding of key aspects of Bonaventures thought and spirituality through exposure to primary texts and engagement with relevant secondary literature.
• A critical evaluation of the achievements and limitations of Bonaventures thought in light of our contemporary theological concerns.
• An in-depth understanding of the nature and development of Bonaventures thought and its significance for the Christian life in the medieval period, and how it was shaped by its historical context.
• A profound insight into the significance of Bonaventures thought and spirituality on subsequent Christian thinking.

Subject-specific Skills:

• An ability to interpret and evaluate critically Bonaventures writings on the basis of primary and secondary sources, and to situate them in their intellectual and cultural context.

Key Skills:

• Development of the ability to engage critically with theological arguments and be able to situate them in their socio-historical context.
• Ability to grasp, summarize, and critically evaluate concepts, arguments and knowledge in written form.

• Lectures will be in two hour blocks, partly ex cathedra and partly in seminar style, in order to enhance subject-specific knowledge and understanding through engagement with primary texts, interaction with fellow-students and the staff member, promoting awareness of different approaches and hermeneutical perspectives, thereby enhancing skills in the analysis of texts, concepts and arguments.
• Formative assignments, including essays, develop subject-knowledge and enhance student skills in the acquisition of knowledge through reading and research, and in the structured presentation of knowledge in written form.
• Summative essays assess the subject-specific knowledge and understanding by engaging with primary texts and secondary literature.
• An end-of term written examination will evaluate general engagement with the overall course

Students will be asked to write ten 300-word response papers to the texts to be studied in the lectures/seminars. Students will be asked to write a formative essay of 2,500 words on a key aspect of Bonaventures theology or spirituality

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