A Franciscan Theological and Metaphysical Perspective About the Structure of the Cosmos

Although at first sight this chapter might be seen as a discontinuity with regard to the progress of the previous history of the phenomenon of emergence, in reality, it represents the opening of a further step that is central to this proposal. The intention is, in fact, to shift our gaze to the analysis of a possible fundamental metaphysical/theological structure of the cosmos. Starting from this, the phenomenon of emergence will be re-read, up to the point of expressing its theological depths. This structure comes from the Franciscan school of theology and finds in Bonaventure from Bagnoregio, Doctor Seraphicus, its greatest exponent, even if he is inserted in a broad debate that preceded him. Also if not speaking explicitly of emergence, implicit references to it can be found at every step, as foundational tools that will then make it possible to build a coherent structure for the subsequent description of the phenomenon within this new reconceptualization.