Chapter Summary In St. Bonaventure's Itinerarium

Chapter 3

The Itinerarium Mentis in Deum

Before proceeding to the main concern of this chapter which is the discussion of St. Bonaventure’s Itinerarium Mentis in Deum, the researcher first dwelled with Bonaventurean anthropology. Moreover, the anthropological thought of the Seraphic Doctor does not only pertain to man and its nature alone but it also speaks of its relation to God. In connection to that, one of the treatises made by the Seraphic Doctor regarding the relation of man to God is to be found in his treatise Itinerarium. In the prologue of this treatise, Bonaventure discussed the plan and the purpose of the Itinerarium which is basically to guide people in a mystical union. By mystical union, one can say that this track made by

In that chapter, St. Bonaventure explains the importance and role of the whole created universe or every creature in ascending into God. According to him this triple power of the Creator shines in a mirror through the use of one’s bodily senses and makes it known to the interior senses in a threefold way of seeing. In the first way of seeing, creatures or creation are seen as they are in themselves especially in terms of weight, numbers, and measure. In the second way of seeing namely, that of faith, we consider this world by attending to its origin, development and end. From this, we can say that Bonaventure somehow reechoes Christian metaphysics and the three laws of nature namely, the law of nature, the law of Scripture and the law of grace. Lastly, the third way of seeing, concerns with the use of reason by looking on the ontological existence of things. From these we can consider the different composition of things. For example, there are beings that are merely corporal, spiritual and some are admixture of the two. In connection to that, one can also consider the seven-fold properties of creatures, those are origin, greatness, multitude, beauty, fullness, activity, and order of all things. These seven properties may also serve as the sevenfold witness of God’s power, wisdom and goodness. At the end of that chapter St. Bonaventure reminds

For contemplating God is not just through them but also in them. Through means that we can contemplate God by the use of the whole created universe, or to simply put it, this refers to the macrocosm. While in refers to the entrance of macrocosm in a microcosm (soul) through the use of five senses. At this point, one can see how some internal things particularly one’s sensory activities is considered as an image of God.

These external, sensible beings are the first to enter into the soul through the doors of the five senses. They enter, I say, not in their substantial reality but by means of the likeness which are generated in the medium. And from the medium they pass into the organ, and from the external organ they move to the internal organ, and from this they move to the faculty of the awareness.

The statement above already summarizes the process by which sensible beings enter into the soul by using his senses. Thus, the contention made by St. Bonaventure is apparent that a thing enters into our mind not literally but sensible beings enter into the soul through apprehension of the form of a thing. From that an individual, can have a mental picture of reality. This mental picture of external reality is what Bonaventure means by the “smaller world,” or microcosm, whereby the macrocosm enters the soul through sensory