La grande teologia a Firenze. II: Pietro Olivi nello Studio di s. Croce. Le forme secolari dell'evangelo

The author, continuing his search for the historical circumstances in which Christian theology experienced significant moments in the life of the Church in Florence, calls attention to the presence of Pietro di Giovanni Olivi in the Franciscan theological school at Santa Croce. He synthetically outlines some main aspects of Olivi's theological method, of his moderate view about the presence of the Spirituals among the Minorites and in the Church, as well as his independence from the Joachimite current, and his attention towards the problems -including economic ones- linked with the new spiritual and human situation of his time. After noticing the effects of Olivi's doctrinal greatness upon Ubertino da Casale, the most important among the Italian Spirituals, the author underlines Dante's relationship with the theology of the Spirituals as well as a lay position of faith in the civil field. The latter can be recognized as an ongoing attitude of Florentine civilization even during the most difficult moments of its relationship with a political papacy : an attitude which transforms ecclesiastical Juridictional structures into political criteria concerning the exertion of power.