Anthony of Padua (1195–1231)

I picked up a number of works by various Franciscans and a collection of St. Anthony's sermons was one of them. It does make for lighter reading when compared to other Franciscans such as Roger Bacon and William Of Ockham, but by no means an uninteresting one. He does share some common mystical tendencies with other Franciscans such as Bonaventure and Peter John Olivi. Allegory was still very much en vogue during the 13th century; unfortunately, it is a lost art in scriptural interpretation today. It will need to come back though. During the early centuries of Christianity, Christians knew rightly that a literalistic approach in all cases is to trivialize scripture and nullify it's depth of meaning. They could find meanings that were by no means obvious when one reads the text literally. Many of St. Anthony's sermons show that early theological tendency and interpretive ability. Books like this have helped me to appreciate the richness of Christian tradition and the complexity of the Spiritual life of the church throughout the centuries.… (mais)