Commentary on the Sentences

Sacraments

Wayne Hellmann, Timothy LeCroy

• Editore: Franciscan Institute Publications
• Anno: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781576593790
• Argomento: Teología y religión
• Categoria: Denominaciones cristianas

This volume is the first to offer an English translation of St. Bonaventure's Commentary on the Sentences: Book Four, the scope of which is all seven sacraments. Annotations help situate his thinking in the broader theological tradition; explanatory notes as well as introductions help the reader navigate the text.

This volume does not translate all of Bonaventure's articles or questions on the sacraments found in his Commentary. According to the judgment of the editors, the translation covers the broad scope of Bonaventure's treatment on sacraments; it presents thereby the foundational principles and fundamentals found in Bonaventure's sacramental theology, especially as these pertain to the integrity of the external sign and the interior reception of grace. For this selection, the Breviloquium, Bonaventure's own outline of his theology, was used as a guide. Thus, peripheral or specifically canonical questions were not included in this translation. Otherwise, the task and the final prod­uct would have become unmanageable and even less useful in view of the principal goals mentioned above. Given the centrality of the Eucharist, however, nearly all the questions pertaining to it are included.

THEOLOGICAL ORIENTATION TO THE EUCHARIST

DISTINCTIONS EIGHT THROUGH THIRTEEN

In relation to the other six sacraments, Bonaventure’s treatment on the Eucharist is by far the most extensive. This is in line with the theological tradition that Bonaventure inherited, which moved him to spend much more time and energy articulating a theology of Eucharist than of any other sacrament. In some ways, it would seem that the material on the Eucharist should be placed first within the order of the sacraments found in his commentary. It is from the theology of the Eucharist that the framework for broader sacramental theology emerges. One prime example is the theology of the threefold signification expressed in the Latin terms sacramentum tantum, sacramentum et res, and res tantum. Thus, the general orientation to the sacrament of the Eucharist here takes a more historical approach than is found in the orientations to the other sacraments.

Bonaventure’s threefold schema for his Eucharistic theology initially comes out of the theological history of the Western Church. First, it comes from Paschasius Radbertus, Innocent III, and then also the Parisian theologians of the 12th century. They reflected on the ways in which the scriptures and the earlier patristic tradition speak about the “Body of Christ,” and applied this to the semiology of the Eucharist (see d. 8, p. 2, a. 2, q. 1 for a fuller discussion of this development). This particular sacramental schema was then applied to all seven sacraments after it was developed to describe the Eucharist. While the ordering of the sacraments in The Sentences is broadly based on the period of life in which one would receive them, the Eucharist is of prime theological importance, especially when considering the attention that had been paid to it in the theological tradition. Because of this prime importance, both in the tradition and in his own theology, Bonaventure spends more energy and time to present the theology of this sacrament.

Distinction 8 is devoted to the theology of the Eucharist in general. This begins with a discussion of the prefigurations of the Eucharist. A prefiguration is a biblical symbol or rite given before the New Covenant institution of that sacrament, which offers some of the signs and graces and points forward toward the fulfilment of that sacrament fully revealed in the Gospel. After Bonaventure discusses the prefigurations of the Eucharist, he moves naturally into a discussion of the questions surrounding its Gospel institution by Christ at the Last Supper. Part two of distinction 8 then follows with a discussion on the form of the rite, those things considered essential to the celebration of the Eucharist, and concludes with a discussion of the sacrament’s signification.

Distinction 9 concerns the eating (and drinking) of the Eucharist. These questions focus on Bonaventure’s theology of the distinction between sacramental and spiritual eating and drinking. This section is quite profound, and worthy of serious reflection. Many of the questions asked by later theologians about the theology and practice of the Eucharist can be answered through a careful application of Bonaventure’s theology articulated in this distinction.

Distinction 10 includes Bonaventure’s discussion of the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It is interesting to note that this question, which many would place at the forefront of any discussion of the theology of the Eucharist, comes after the discussion of its form, signification, and rite of actual eating and drinking of the sacrament. It is no mistake that these precede, for the question of Christ’s presence is tertiary to its signification and to receiving it as a sacrament. In this distinction Bonaventure distinguishes between the local presence of Christ glorified in heaven and the sacramental presence of Christ sub sacramento. The local presence of Christ’s physical body glorified in the resurrection cannot be altered or changed by any change in the visible signs of his sacramental presence.

Distinction 11 discusses the elements of the Eucharist, namely bread and wine. Part one discusses the mystery of the conversion of the visible elements of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord. Part two discusses which material elements are proper for the celebration of the sacrament. Of particular interest is whether the sacrament must be celebrated with bread from wheat (and that leavened or unleavened) and wine from grapes, and whether the drinking of the wine from the cup (which was not by custom allowed to the laity in Bonaventure’s time) was integral to the sacrament. It should be noted that while Bonaventure does not explicitly eschew the custom of denying the cup to the laity, he does provide a powerful theology for the significance of drinking from the cup as necessary for full sacramental participation. The distinction closes with a discussion of the nature of the body confected at the Last Supper, since the Last Supper preceded Christ’s passion, resurrection, and ascension to glory.

Distinction 12 discusses the efficacy of the Eucharist. It begins with a discussion of the accidents of bread and wine and the implications of their existence without a subject. These questions surround the significance of the breaking of the bread. The main question that arises here is whether the true body of Christ is broken when the bread is broken. Part two then discusses when and how the sacrament is efficacious, what that efficacy specifically is, and resulting from that, how frequently one ought to receive the sacrament.

Distinction 13 concludes with a discussion of the confection of the Eucharist, or the circumstances when the sacramental presence of the body and blood of the Lord begins and ceases to exist. This includes what kind of priest can confect the sacrament, what happens to the sacrament after its consecration, when and under what conditions the body and blood of Christ ceases to exist sub sacramento, that is, as true presence signified externally by the signs of bread and wine.

From Bonaventure’s Eucharistic theology there are three brief observations. The first is that he had great knowledge of and respect for the existing theological tradition. Even when Bonaventure is found disagreeing with the theological authorities, and when he may appear to do so, he will explain how his view actually falls in line with theirs. He is greatly indebted to Ambrose and Augustine in his Eucharistic thought, as discussed above in the Theological Introduction.

The second observation is that though Bonaventure does not part with traditional teaching or practice on any matters, he nevertheless builds on the tradition in creative, fascinating and brilliant ways. He sometimes gives hints that he would advocate for reform in certain areas if he had the authority to do so. Yet, it must be remembered that when Bonaventure composed this commentary, he was still a student. Even at his early age as yet a student, one finds underlying nuances pointing toward a theology of reform in several important places.

The third observation is that for Bonaventure, spirituality always trumps physicality. The mystical nature of conversion and of sacramental presence, its spiritual signification and efficacy, and the importance to commune spiritually as well as sacramentally all point to the most important purpose of the Eucharist: true communion with God, as realized by the power of the Spirit within the communio sanctorum, whereby all the members of the Mystical Body of Christ are united together by the vinculum cantatis in order to offer praise and glory to the Father. Participation in the Eucharist is fundamentally a communal, spiritual and mystical exercise. Even though experienced through external sensible signs, it is not primarily physical. It moves from what is visibly signifying externally to what is signified invisibly and internally. Remember the words of Christ, John 6:63, in reference to his body and blood: spiritus est qui vivificat caro non prodest quicquam verba quae ego locutus sum vobis spiritus et vita sunt: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life.” This concept pervades Bonaventure’s Eucharistic thought.

AN EXCURSUS ON THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF EUCHARISTIC THEOLOGY

As an additional help to students of Bonaventure’s eucharistic theology, the following historical excursus is here offered. It is not intended to be exhaustive or fully detailed, but may provide a general overview of the western Church’s historical tradition that formed the basis for St. Bonaventure’s thinking as he began writing his Commentary on the Sentences.

In the West, the history of the theology of the Eucharist begins with St. Ambrose of Milan. While credit must be given to influential eastern writers such as Cyril of Jerusalem, Ignatius of Antioch, and the author of the Didache, their thought is mediated to the Latin West through the Milanese Doctor’s influential pen. Perhaps taking a cue from Cyril, the main locus of Ambrose’s eucharistic thought can be found in two sets of his catechetical lectures, De Sacramentis and De Mysteriis. These were offered to catechumens as preparation for their baptism. These two treatises, which some scholars have reasonably theorized are one and the same in origin (one being a transcript and the other being Ambrose’s own edited version), touch on a wider range of catechetical topics than the Eucharist, but it is from these two that western Eucharistic theology begins.

There are two powerful ideas that Ambrose puts forth in these two sets of lectures, both of which would become the standard basis for eucharistic thought in the West. First, one should understand the fact that Christians, even before Ambrose, believed in the conversion of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. He did not originate this idea. Yet, he did provide two further notions for western eucharistic thinkers: first that the power to convert the elements arises from the words of Christ spoken at the recitation of the words of institution, and second, that this conversion is a miracle on a par with the many miracles of the Old Testament. Hereafter, the theology of the West would branch out in a stream separate from the East, focusing on the miracle of the conversion and the exact mom...

Indice dei contenuti

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• List of Abbreviations
• General Introduction
• Historical Introduction
• Theological Introduction
• Prooemium to the Fourth Book of Sentences
• Theological Orientation to Sacraments
• Theological Orientation to Baptism
• Theological Orientation to Confirmation
• Theological Orientation to the Eucharist
• Theological Orientation to the Sacrament of Penance
• Theological Orientation to the Sacrament of Extreme Unction
• Theological Orientation to the Sacrament of Order
• Theological Orientation to Matrimony
• Indices