Walter Chatton on dominium

This article examines Walter Chatton's (c.1290-1343/4) writings on Franciscan poverty in order to uncover his theory of property rights. Chatton, a Franciscan critic of William of Ockham, defended his conception of poverty at least three times following the publication of Ad conditorem canonum (1323). I argue that Chatton defended Franciscan non-ownership in a way uniquely his own. Most significant was his close coupling of dominium with potestas while avoiding the language of rights so commonly associated with other Franciscan authors. Chatton cannot be counted among the nor the 'Community', nor even among the emerging Michaelists. 'Spirituals',