Philotheus Boehner Explained

Philotheus Boehner
Birth Name:Heinrich Boehner
Birth Date:17 February 1901
Birth Place:Lichtenau, Westphalia, Germany
Known For:Medieval scholarship
Alma Mater:University of Münster
Employer:St. Bonaventure University

Philotheus Boehner (pronounced as /de/; born Heinrich Boehner; 17 February 1901  - 22 May 1955) was a member of the Franciscan order known for medieval scholarship.[1]

Biography

Boehner was born Heinrich Boehner in Lichtenau, Westphalia. He entered the Franciscan Order in 1920, and was given the name Latin: Philotheus,[2] the Latin form of the Greek Greek, Modern (1453-);: Philotheos, ("friend of God"). In 1927 he was ordained as a priest, although he was so ill with tuberculosis he was not expected to live. While resting, he began his work as a medieval scholar by translating Étienne Gilson's work on Saint Bonaventura. He became a close friend of Gilson in the 1930s.

In the summer of 1940 Boehner moved to Saint Bonaventure College (now a university) where he lectured on Franciscan philosophy, and it was here that he began to build the Franciscan Institute into a center of international Franciscan scholarship.

Works

As a result of his work and influence, a large output of scholarly publications were issued from the Franciscan Institute (more than thirty volumes from 1944 - 55, divided into five series—Philosophy, Theology, Texts, History, and Missiology).

Probably his most enduring work is the critical edition of William of Ockham's Opera omnia theologica et philosophica, which he produced with Professor Ernest Moody.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Philotheus Boehner, OFM (1901-1955) . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090710015901/http://web.sbu.edu/friedsam/archives/mertonweb/Biographies/Boehner1.htm . 10 July 2009 . The Thomas Merton Archives at St. Bonaventure University . . 5 July 2009.
  2. Book: Damico, Helen . Medieval Scholarship : Philosophy and the arts.
  3. Web site: Philotheus Boehner . Open Library . 5 July 2009.