The theme of this series is given a human touch in Medieval Masters. All of the contributors in this memorial volume are paying tribute to their mentor, former University of Toronto (St. Michael's College) professor, Rev. Edward A. Synan. These essays provide ample proof that Synan's legacy of excellence will continue to influence students of philosophy for decades to come. In addition to ten essays, the volume contains a Synan bibliography and a very heartfelt opening remembrance from M. Jean Kitchel. (...) The essays are wide ranging, exploring Bonaventure, John Duns Scotus, Averroes, and Albert the Great, as well as the Thomistic themes of essence and existence; creation, numbers, and natures; and friendship and Christology. There is also a discussion of the treatment of the problem of universals in Boethius, Porphyry, and Abelard. Anyone who studies philosophy, whether a Thomist or not, will find this a valuable volume. That is as much a tribute to Father Synan as it is to the contributors, who were the grateful recipients of his generous and sage teaching. (shrink)

BOOK REVIEWS 295 underscore God's existence sola ratione actualizes the biblical narrative, not by request- ing personal satisfaction as he hopes to find the sought-after argument, but, in good monastic-penitential fashion, by having this very argument command redemption for all of humanity. Risking far more than personal disappointment, Anselm's quest for God sola ratione merges prayer and proof to such an extent that any distinction must forthwith be abandoned. Schufreider approaches the Proslogion as a mixture of prayer and proof, but (...) he is not ready to abandon their distinction. Consequently, he not only isolates chapters 2-4 from chapter l, but also from chapters 5-26. On 2o8ff. he speaks of Anselm's "theologizing" of the ontological reality of GOd in those later chapters. In a recent article Stephen Gersh has suggested that the earlier and later parts of the Proslogion are connected by the following unstated premiss: "when two terms are compared as greater and lesser, then God corresponds to the greater. ''1 Whether or not one accepts this premiss, it suppresses in Anselmian fashion the distinction between prayer and proof in favor of an approach sola ratione. In the concluding chapter , Schufreider positions Anselm's "rational mysticism" between the unsystematic but intuitive argumentation of Augustine and the systematic reasoning which expressly lacks vision of Aquinas . Although Schufreider is painting with.. (shrink)