“The Making of Franciscan Poverty,” Revue Mabillon, revue internationale d’histoire et de littérature religieuses, n.s., 24 (2013): 1–22.

This paper argues that the Franciscan poverty was essentially an intellectual construct based on legal distinctions concerning propertylessness.

Property Rights in the Shift from 'Community’' to 'Michaelist'

This paper examines Franciscan theories of property rights in the second and third decades of the fourteenth century. The writings of Bonagratia of Bergamo and Michael of Cesena are studied in particular because they were active in both decades, where different concerns might have shaped how they conceived of their poverty, and thus how property ownership worked. It is shown where and how much their description of what constitutes Franciscan poverty changed, despite the fact that the texts of both decades relied on the same papal declarations on Franciscan poverty, notably Exiit qui seminat (VI 5.12.3). In addition, an effort has been made to illuminate how deeply Roman law ideas about property rights shaped the writings of all sides of the debates.L’articolo esamina le teorie francescane sul diritto di proprietà nel secondo e terzo decennio del secolo XIV. Sono analizzati, in particolare, gli scritti di Bonagrazia da Bergamo e Michele da Cesena, poiché essi furono attivi in entrambi i decenni, nei quali diverse vicende potrebbero avere influito sul modo in cui essi concepirono la povertà, e quindi configurarono il concetto di dominium et proprietas. Lo studio mostra in quali aspetti e in quale misura la loro concezione di ciò che costituisce la povertà frances cana sia cambiata, nono stante il fatto che i testi di entrambi i decenni si basassero sulle medesime dichiarazioni papali sulla povertà francescana, soprattutto sulla bolla Exiit qui seminat (VI 5.12.3). Inoltre, si è tentato di mettere in luce quanto profondamente le concezioni riguardanti il diritto di proprietà risalenti al diritto romano abbiano inciso sugli scritti prodotti su tutti i versanti del dibattito.

Innocent IV, John XXII, and the Michaelists on Corporate Poverty

This paper explores the Michaelist account of Franciscan corporate poverty. A unique feature of Franciscan poverty was that the order itself was traditionally thought to own nothing. Pope John XXII disagreed, and the Michaelists -- that is, the dissident Franciscans associated with the (deposed) Minister-General of Franciscan Order -- in turn challenged John's account. In all cases, the argument turns on corporation theory and whether a corporation has an existence separate and apart from the individuals who comprise it.

„Einheit und Einigung“ der Kirche, die „Mehrheit“ der Gläubigen und eine „ecclesia mathematica“ nach einigen neu edierten Texten des Nikolaus von Kues

„Unity and Unification“ of the church, the „majority“ of believers and „ecclesia mathematica“ in the light of newly edited texts by Nikolaus of Cusa.The Heidelberg Edition of Opera Omnia presents vol. XV/1, Opuscula III, fasc. 1. At the council of Basle, while writing his most important political work De concordantia catholica, Nicolaus of Cusa published also some reflections on the reductio of the „Bohemians“ (i.e. the Hussites) regarding the „utraquist“ communion. Nicolaus suggests, according to patristic models by Cyprian and Augustin, to accept a „majority“ of the papal church only in strict connection with the cathedra Petri that guaranteed the truth of faith. Firstly, this idea of a majority is considered. Secondly, ecclesia mathematica or concilium mathematicum will be analysed: In the bitter conflict on Franciscan poverty at the beginning of the 14th century, pope John XXII himself characterized the dominium (ownership) of the Roman church as merely nudum verbale et mathematicum.