Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Bonaventure's Universe in a Nutshell

Bonaventure summarizes his view of the universe, and I post it here for general reference.

Concerning the existence of material nature the following points are to be held: the entire material world machine comprises a heavenly and an elementary nature. The heavenly nature is mainly divided into three heavens: the empyrean, the crystalline heaven, and the firmament. Within the firmament(the starry heaven) there are seven planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon. The elementary nature is divided into four spheres: fire, air, water, and earth. From the highest point in heaven to the center of the earth there are in all ten celestial and four elementary spheres. Thus the whole material world machine is constructed in a distinct, perfect, and ordered manner.