Giovanni di Fidanza (St. Bonaventure), 1221-1274.

Italian Scholastic and leading Franciscan theologian. 

Originally from the environs of Viterbo, Tuscany, Bonaventure joined the Franciscan order in 1238, and in 1242, went to Paris to study theology under Alexander of Hales.  He obtained his bachelorship in 1248 and his mastership under Hales's successor,  Jean de la Rochelle, around 1255. 

It was during this time that Bonaventure composed his Commentaria on the four books of Peter Lombard's Sentences, in imitation (but superseding) Hales in its careful fusion of Augustine and Aristotle, decidedly more mystical and Neo-Platonic. Bonaventure insists (and clarifies) the partition between philosophy and theology - arguing that while knowledge of God may be the source of philosophy, He cannot Himself be accessed by reason, but only revelation.  This contrasts with the bubbling rationalist Aristotleanism of his great contemporary, Thomas Aquinas.   According to Bonaventure, "philosophical science is the way to other sciences; but he who wishes to stop there, falls into darkness".  As a result, while crediting Aristotle as a great natural philosopher, Bonaventure rejects his metaphysics. He finds Aristotle riddled with more error than Plato or Plotinus, who at least allowed room for a truth "outside" the world..

Bonaventure's philosophical works include his Intenerarium, Breviloquium,  De Reductione and Collationes.  His opusculums on Triplici Via, Soliloquium, are more mystical exercises.  He also wrote several commentaries on the Scriptures (notably the Gospel of St. Luke)

Bonaventure's reception of his Mastership was delayed by a quarrel in the University of Paris, between  the "Regulars" (i.e. those attached to a religious order, e.g. Franciscans, Dominicans) and the "Seculars" (unattached, the dominant scholar-clerics of the university).  The recent inroads made into the university life by the Orders in recent years had prompted a reaction by the Seculars and the University authorities, and Bonaventure and other Regulars (notably the Dominican Thomas Aquinas) were barred from being recognized as professors and prevented from teaching in Paris in 1255. After a vigorous campaign and special papal intervention, Bonaventure and Aquinas were restored in 1257.

By that time, however, already had a new job. Bonaventure was elected Master-General of the Franciscan Order in February 1257.  At that time, the Franciscan Order was riven by a quarrel that had grown since the death of its founder, St. Francis of Assisi, in 1226.  It pitted the "Conventuals" (who sought engagement in cities and social life) against the "Spirituals" (whom insisted on an extreme interpretation of  Franciscan ideal of absolute poverty in rural mendicancy.)  Bonaventure tried to discipline the more extremist partisans of each faction - on the one hand proceeding with prosecutions of several Spiritual leaders as heretics, while imposing reforms on the Conventuals, promulgating new set of rules at General Chapter of Narbonne in 1260.  In connection with this, Bonaventure set out to compose his a life of St. Francis, the first version (Legenda Minor) soon superseded by his more carefully researched second version (Legenda) in 1261.  This was declared the official biography at the Chapter of Pisa in 1263, and was followed up by a ban on other alternative Franciscan hagiographies at the Chapter of Paris in 1266. 

In 1265, Bonaventure was offered the vacant Archbishopric of York, but turned down the offer.  He however, accepted the offer of Cardinal-Bishop of Albano by Pope Gregory X in 1273 and resigned his position as Master-General of the Franciscans.

Bonaventure died in 1274, shortly after attending the important Council of Lyons, where the unification of the Western and Eastern churches was (temporarily) achieved.

Bonaventure was canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church in 1482, and granted the honorific title of "Seraphic Doctor" in 1557.

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