My Heart’s Quest

Eric Doyle was a man of vision, a vision of Christ seen through the eyes of St. Francis of Assisi, which vision brought a unity and a dignity to all creation, as well as a fraternal connection with Christ. Eric alerted us to the wealth of the spiritual life, prayer, devotion, philosophy and theology that saturate our Franciscan heritage. He sought for answers to contemporary issues in ecology, liberation theology, ecumenism and the place of women in the Church.

This volume of more than 600 pages includes articles on Franciscan Spirituality, St. Bonaventure’s and Bl. John Duns Scotus’ theology, Teilhard de Chardin, various theological and spiritual themes. Throughout the text, the editors wove biographical notes, photos and memories of people who knew Eric. Two of his recorded talks on CD accompany the text. A complete bibliography closes the collection.

Review by Seamus Mulholland OFM:

 This anthology of the writings of the Franciscan priest Fr. Eric Doyle OFM+ contains writings on theology, ecclesiology, ecology, Christology and Franciscan Studies that were the product of a lucid and insightlful mind as it searched for the meaning of the Trinity, Christ, the Church, the significance of Francis of Assisi. Eric Doyle sat on two Papal Commissions, was Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the Franciscan International Study Centre, and Visiting Professor of Franciscan Studies at the Department of Sacred Sciences, St. Bonaventure's University, New York. Like his two heroes, Francis of Assisi and John Duns Scotus, he died in his forties. But the diversity of these writings testify to a prolific writer and thinker on a wide range of theological topics that are treated with in-depth scholarship, clarity of thought, and ease of exposition. And his scholarship is evident in this anthology which includes examinations of the main themes of contemporary Christology, ecumenical theology and the relationship between science and religion in his exposition of aspects of the thought of Teilhard de Chardin. At first sight the writings seem eclectic, but closer reading reveals that the grouping of the writings under various headings is indicative of the seriousness and learning he brought to each topic he dealt with. These writings will appeal to those who have no specialist learning in theology, and those who see theology as a science of the utmost academic rigour. Fr. Doyle, in this collection, makes theology, and its many difficult areas, accessible to non-specialist while at the same time satisfying the theological specialists and academically minded. This is a well-edited collection of writings of one of the brilliant theological minds of the contemporary Franciscan movement and the editorial team are to be commended for their painstaking collection and collation of these texts, which will repay serious study, and also serve as an excellent, pleasing and fruitful collection of writings for those coming to theology for the first time.

v

Collected Writings of Eric Doyle,
Friar Minor, Theologian

ISBN 0-954-9272-06:
Cirino/ Raischl,
Fran. Int. Study Centre,
Canterbury, UK, 2005

distributed in the U.S. by
The Franciscan Institute

and in the U.K. by the
Franciscan International Study Centre
Canterbury
(O11) 44-1227 769 349 from the US
(O044)-1227 769 349 from Europe
www.franciscans.ac.uk

contact:
David Palmer, david.p@franciscans.ac.uk