The Roots of Franciscan Theology and Metaphysics: An Integrated Approach Towards Encounter, Participation, and the De-Radicalisation of Difference

Dawson, Sian (2026) The Roots of Franciscan Theology and Metaphysics: An Integrated Approach Towards Encounter, Participation, and the De-Radicalisation of Difference. Doctoral thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

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Abstract

This thesis argues that the Franciscan theological tradition, rooted in the spiritual attributes of humility, poverty, and simplicity, and shaped by metaphysical motifs such as freedom, relationality, and moral goodness, offers a coherent and constructive framework for interfaith dialogue. By retrieving the theological and metaphysical vision implicit in the life and witness of Francis of Assisi, the thesis demonstrates that these elements function not merely as devotional ideals, but as the foundations of a theology of encounter and a metaphysics of participation. Chapters 1.0–3.0 trace the emergence of these themes through an exploration of the roots of Franciscan spirituality, with particular attention to hospitality and the agency of the other, as exemplified in Francis of Assisi’s historic meeting with the Sultan during the Fifth Crusade. Chapters 4.0 and 5.0 examine how these Franciscan attributes and metaphysical motifs are developed within the medieval scholastic tradition, focusing on the contributions of Bonaventure and John Duns Scotus. Particular attention is given to doctrines such as divine illumination, intuitive cognition, and contingency, showing how these concepts articulate and extend a participatory Franciscan theological vision. The thesis engages directly with the critique posed by the Radical Orthodoxy movement, particularly its claim that Franciscan theology leads to a flattening of participatory ontology and a fragmentation of theological meaning. In response, it argues that the Franciscan tradition sustains a robust participatory metaphysics grounded in divine freedom and mediated through relationality and moral goodness.   Concluding with a constructive synthesis, the thesis proposes an integrated Franciscan framework for interfaith dialogue that affirms the theological integrity of encounter and the metaphysical significance of participation. This framework is embodied in the Ordinary Life, where divine presence is mediated through humility and where interfaith encounter becomes a lived theological practice oriented toward justice and peace within creation.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BV Practical Theology
Divisions:	Theses and Dissertations > Doctoral Theses
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.82227/repository.uwtsd.ac.uk.00004173
Depositing User:	Sian Dawson
Date Deposited:	30 Mar 2026 13:29
Last Modified:	30 Mar 2026 13:30
URI:	https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/4173

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