Where Aquinas Went Wrong: Debates between St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure | Dr. Brendan Case

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Brendan Case to discuss his new book, Doubting Thomas (UND Press), which covers a host of debates between St. Thomas Aquinas and his Franciscan counterparts, especially St. Bonaventure. In this discussion, Dr. Case shares a few instances where he thinks Bonaventure got the better of Thomas. Moreover, he shares why these debates matter and how they might better help us understand the place of Thomas in modern theology. Pre-order my novel, The Long Road to Holy Island: https://amzn.to/4sISAC9Get access to my book club, one-on-one office hours, show notes, and more:  https://patreon.com/gospelsimplicityMake a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/gospelsimplicityBook a meeting: https://calendly.com/gospelsimplicity/meet-with-austinRead my writings: https://austinsuggs.substack.comAbout the Guest: Brendan W. Case, Th.D., serves as the Associate Director for Research at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program. A Christian theologian by training, Case’s work brings theology and philosophy into conversation with the empirical social sciences to understand the nature, distribution, and determinants of a good life. Dr. Case is the author or co-author of five books: The Gentleness of Wisdom: A Christian Ethics of Charity, Anger, and Enmity (Routledge, 2026); Doubting Thomas: Early Franciscan Disputes with Aquinas (University of Notre Dame Press, 2026); The Justification of the Sinless: Supralapsarian Christology and the Goodness of the Incarnation (Baker Academic, 2026); The Accountable Animal: Justice, Justification, and Judgment (T&T Clark, 2021), and (with William Glass) Least of the Apostles: Paul and His Legacies in Earliest Christianity (Pickwick Press, 2022). Guest Links: Read the book: https://amzn.to/3UnrxQQThe Justification of the Sinless: https://amzn.to/4ccbZFPLearn more: https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu/team/brendan-caseChapters00:00 The Place of St. Thomas in Theology04:46 St. Bonaventure's Approach10:01 Reception of Thomas in his time20:04 The Trinity and divine relations25:12 The Ontological Argument30:07 Implications of different theological emphases35:05 Bonaventure today39:55 Beyond the Summa45:13 Mystical theology in Bonaventure49:48 Historical and contemporary views on Thomas and Bonaventure54:57 The future of theological studySupport the show