assimilates Augustine and Bernard and shapes the later Franciscan
movement in paradigmatic ways.
Bonaventure employs the nounrecognitiosometimes but not fre-
quently. Among these occurrences, the recognition of one’s own sin or
misery (recognitio peccati, culpae, miseriarum) seems to dominate.^113
This sense is connected with the Augustinian idea of recollection from
memory. Sometimes it approaches normative acknowledgement in the
sense of personal confession, since in confessing one’sowniniquity
(humilitas recognitionis culpae) a person shows humility.^114 At least
once Bonaventure speaks of the recognition of divine benefits.^115
However, the idea of cognitive recollection dominates his use of the
term, in that while Aquinas clearly speaks of the recognition of author-
ity, Bonaventura relies more on the Augustinian meaning.
Concerning the verbrecognosco, Bonaventura employs the feudal
phrase of‘recognizing the benefit’in the sense of approving some-
thing that God has given.^116 He does not elaborate this relationship in
more detail. Once he says, interestingly, that Christ recognizes the
Franciscan rule as his own.^117 As Bonaventure employs other nor-
mative phrases (confimare, Dominus accepit) in this context, he
clearly does not mean a mere recollection but the performative act
of recognition. Remarkably, this case is both adequate regard and an
instance of‘downward’recognition. In this respect, the act of Christ is
like the moral application of religious recognition.
In one of his homilies, Bonaventure describes grateful devotion in
terms of kissing the hand of the benefactor. Reflecting the feudal
ceremony, he considers that‘he who recognizes a gift from another’
(qui recognoscit munus ab alio) kisses the giver’s hand, whereas the
one who gives to himself kisses his own hand. Such self-devotion
means acting contrary to God’s will. Instead, a person should kiss
God’s hand in both prosperity and adversity. We should love God as
both the gift-giver and the hand that exercises discipline.^118 This
elaboration again manifests the feudal situation between lord and
(^113) Bonaventure,Serm. dom.37, 4 and 37, 6. Also three times inSerm. de div.vol. 2,
sermo 39, 6, ll. 167–73.
(^114) Serm. dom.37, 2, 25.
(^115) Serm. de temp.196, par. 2, p. 268, l. 8.
(^116) Serm de div.vol. 1, sermo 32, par. 3, p. 398;Serm. de temp.31 par. 9, p. 85 and
sermo 171, par. 1, p. 239.
(^117) Serm. de div.vol. 2, sermo 59, par. 10, p. 796, l. 170.
(^118) Serm. de div.vol. 2, sermo 48, par. 12, p. 640.
The Latin Traditions 77