A Way into Scholasticism

St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio's The Soul's Journey into God is a masterpiece of thirteenth-century Scholasticism. Unfortunately no comprehensive analysis of Bonaventure's seminal treatise exists that is accessible to contemporary audiences. Reinvigorating the medieval tradition of critical commentary for the twenty-first century, Peter Dillard's A Way into Scholasticism: A Companion to St. Bonaventure's The Soul's Journey into God introduces readers to basic Scholastic concepts and arguments by expounding and evaluating Bonaventure's speculative system. Dillard also highlights the relevance of Bonaventure's thought for contemporary philosophical theology. The book will appeal to a wide audience including seminarians, clergy, brothers and sisters of religious orders, students at the advanced undergraduate or graduate levels, professional scholars, and anyone seeking a better understanding of the Scholastic intellectual tradition.

""This is a powerful reading and appreciation of Bonaventure's most famous work, The Soul's Journey into God . . . In spare, precise, and occasionally elegant prose, Dillard brings a contemporary mentality to bear on Bonaventure's project and every step involved in the progress through six stages of spiritual growth leading to the possibility of mystical contemplation or ecstasy . . . This would be an excellent text for those needing an introduction to Scholasticism as well as for those who feel they have nothing left to learn from Scholasticism.""
-Patrick Madigan
The Heythrop Journal


Peter S. Dillard is the author of Heidegger and Philosophical Atheology: A Neo-Scholastic Critique (2008) and The Truth about Mary: A Theological and Philosophical Evaluation of the Proposed Fifth Marian Dogma (2009).