Holy Teaching , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Christian Bauerschmidt Frederick

Découvre YouScribe en t'inscrivant gratuitement

Je m'inscris

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

233 pages

English

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

There comes a time in the life of every Christian when he or she desires to go deeper in his or her walk with God. For many, this task can seem daunting.Enter St. Thomas Aquinas. He wrote his great Summa theologiae, or summary of theology, to fill the need for a thorough survey of Christian teaching. Unfortunately, the Summa theologiae is thousands of pages and can be intimidating to the beginner. Now Frederick Bauerschmidt has come to the rescue. Holy Teaching presents key parts of the Summa theologiae, which are explained by Bauerschmidt. These selections will encourage students, pastors, and interested laypeople to spend quality time in the company of a great Christian teacher.

Sujets

Philosophie et théologie

Christian theology

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	01 juillet 2005
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441237972
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0864€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Published by Brazos Press a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.brazospress.com

Ebook edition created 2011

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-4412-3797-2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

For Stanley Hauerwas, fellow hillbilly Thomist

CONTENTS

Cover TitlePage CopyrightPage Dedication Introduction Prologue totheS um maTheologiae T F P HE IRST ART QUESTION 1:TheNatureofHolyTeaching 1.1.1Whether, besides philosophical studies, any further teaching is required? 1.1.2Whether holy teaching isscientia? 1.1.8Whether holy teaching proves anything through argumentation? 1.1.9Whether Holy Scripture should use metaphors? 1.1.10Whether in Holy Scripture a word may have several senses? QUESTION 2:TheExistence ofGod 1.2.1Whether the existence of God is self-evident? 1.2.2Whether it can be demonstrated that God exists? 1.2.3Whether God exists? QUESTION 3:TheSimplicityofGod 1.3.4Whether essence and existence are the same in God? QUESTION 12:KnowledgeofGod 1.12.12Whether God can be known in this life by natural reason? 1.12.13 Whether a higher knowledge of God can be obtained by grace than by natural reason? QUESTION 13:TheNames of God 1.13.3Whether any word can be applied to God in its literal sense? 1.13.5Whether what is said of God and of creatures is said of them univocally? QUESTION 27:TheProcessionoftheDivine Persons 1.27.1Whether there is procession in God? 1.27.3Whether any other procession exists in God besides that of the Word? QUESTION 29:TheDivinePersons 1.29.4Whether this word “person” signifies relation? QUESTION 32:KnowledgeoftheTrinity 1.32.1Whether the Trinity of the divine Persons can be known by natural reason? QUESTION 36:ThePerson of theHolySpirit 1.36.2Whether the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son? QUESTION 45:TheWay in Which Things Come Forth from the First Principle 1.45.5Whether it belongs to God alone to create? T F H S P HE IRST ALF OF THE ECOND ART QUESTION 3:WhatIsHappiness? 1–2.3.8 Whether perfect human happiness consists in the vision of the divine

essence? QUESTION 4:Those Things That AreRequired for Happiness 1–2.4.6Whether perfection of the body is necessary for perfect human happiness? QUESTION 5:TheAttainment of Happiness 1–2.5.1Whether human beings can attain happiness? QUESTION 91:TheVarious Kinds ofLaw 1–2.91.4Whether there was any need for a divine law? QUESTION 109:TheNecessity ofGrace 1–2.109.2Whether human beings can wish and do good without grace? 1–2.109.6 Whether human beings, left alone and without the external aid of grace, can prepare themselves for grace? THESECONDHALF OF THESECONDPART QUESTION 2:TheAct ofFaith 2–2.2.3 Whether it is necessary for salvation to believe anything above natural reason? 2–2.2.7 Whether it is necessary for salvation to believe explicitly in the mystery of Christ? 2–2.2.8Whether it is necessary for salvation to believe explicitly in the Trinity? 2–2.2.10Whether reasons in support of what we believe lessen the merit of faith? QUESTION 17:Hope 2–2.17.2Whether eternal happiness is the proper object of hope? QUESTION 19:TheGiftofFear 2–2.19.11Whether fear remains in the heavenly homeland? QUESTION 23:Charity 2–2.23.1Whether charity is friendship? QUESTION 174:DifferentKindsofProphecy 2–2.174.6Whether the degrees of prophecy change as time goes on? THETHIRDPART QUESTION 1:TheFittingnessofthe Incarnation 3.1.1Whether it was fitting that God should become incarnate? 3.1.2 Whether it was necessary for the restoration of the human race that the Word of God should become incarnate? 3.1.3Whether, if humanity had not sinned, God would have become incarnate? QUESTION 2:TheModeofUnion of theWordIncarnate 3.2.2Whether the union of the incarnate Word took place in the person? QUESTION 8:TheGrace of Christ,as HeIs theHead oftheChurch 3.8.1Whether Christ, inasmuch as he is human, is the head of the church? QUESTION 9:Christ’sKnowledgeinGeneral 3.9.4Whether Christ had any knowledge acquired through experience? QUESTION 16:WhatIsFittinglySaidofChrist 3.16.1Whether this is true: “God is a human being”? QUESTION 17:Christ’sUnitywith RegardtoHisExistence 3.17.2Whether there is only one existence in Christ? QUESTION 27:TheSanctification oftheBlessedVirgin 3.27.2Whether the Blessed Virgin was sanctified before animation? QUESTION 40:Christ’sWay of Living 3.40.1Whether Christ should have associated with people, or led a solitary life? 3.40.3Whether Christ should have led a life of poverty in this world? 3.40.4Whether Christ abided by the Law?

QUESTION 42:Christ’sTeaching 3.42.4Whether Christ should have committed his teaching to writing? QUESTION 46:TheSuffering ofChrist 3.46.1 Whether it was necessary for Christ to suffer for the deliverance of the human race? 3.46.2 Whether there was any other possible way of human deliverance besides the suffering of Christ? 3.46.3 Whether there was any more suitable way of delivering the human race than by Christ’s suffering? 3.46.4Whether Christ should have suffered on a cross? QUESTION 47:TheEfficientCauseof Christ’s Suffering 3.47.1Whether Christ was killed by someone else or by himself? QUESTION 48:WhatChrist’s SufferingDid 3.48.2 Whether Christ’s suffering brought about our salvation by way of repayment? QUESTION 53:Christ’sResurrection 3.53.1Whether it was necessary for Christ to rise again? QUESTION 59:Christ’sPoweras Judge 3.59.5 Whether after the judgment that takes place in the present time, there remains yet another general judgment? QUESTION 61:TheNeedfor theSacraments 3.61.1Whether sacraments are necessary for human salvation? QUESTION 62:TheSacraments’Principal Effect,Which Is Grace 3.62.1Whether the sacraments are the cause of grace? QUESTION 63:TheOther Effectof theSacraments, Which Is a Seal 3.63.1Whether a sacrament imprints a seal on the soul? QUESTION 65:TheNumber ofthe Sacraments 3.65.1Whether there should be seven sacraments? QUESTION 66:TheSacramentofBaptism 3.66.1Whether baptism is the act of washing itself? QUESTION 68:Those WhoReceive Baptism 3.68.2Whether a person can be saved without baptism? 3.68.9Whether children should be baptized? QUESTION 75:TheConversionof the Bread andWine 3.75.1 Whether the body of Christ is in the sacrament of the Eucharist truly, or only in a figure or as in a sign? 3.75.8Whether this proposition is false: “The body of Christ is made out of bread”? QUESTION 80:Receiving the Eucharist 3.80.1Whether one should distinguish two ways of eating Christ’s body? QUESTION 83:TheRiteofThisSacrament 3.83.1Whether Christ is sacrificially offered in this sacrament? Glossaryof Names Suggestions forFurther Reading Index Notes

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCING AWORKTHATNEEDSNOINTRODUCTION

Thomas Aquinas’sSumma theologiaeis undoubtedly a great work of theology.[1]Indeed, it is the only volume of anything like dogmatic or systematic theology among Britannica’sGreat Books of the Western World.If there is a work of theology that needs no introduction, this is it. But in attempting to teach the theology of Thomas Aquinas, I found that although there were many affordable anthologies of his work in print, none of them contained much in the way of the texts that would be of particular interest to theologians: texts on Christology or the Trinity or the sacraments. We might speculate about why this is the case—why it is that Thomas is viewed in the English-speaking world more as philosopher than a theologian, or why it is that his theology is thought to be of little interest—but the fact remains. One could, of course, have students spend a few hundred dollars on a translation of the entireSumma theologiae(which is certainly a good investment), but even with the text in hand, Thomas’s theology is not immediately accessible. Terms have to be explained; historical background has to be given; arguments have to be diagrammed. This book is born partly out of my desire to make some of Thomas’s texts more readily available. To that end I have collected a number of texts that are not found normally in anthologies of Thomas’s writings, and I have provided a commentary that is designed to help the reader who is not familiar with Thomas’s theology (or perhaps even with theology in general). But this book is also born out of a desire to help people read Thomas Aquinas differently. I hope this book will show that there is much of interest in Thomas that for many people remains unknown because it remains unread. Many people think they know what is important in Thomas’sSumma theologiae:his proofs for the existence of God and perhaps what he has to say about natural law. These things certainly are important, but focusing on them exclusively distorts our image of what Thomas is up to in theSumma.He himself describes theSummaas an exercise insacra doctrina,which is sometimes translated as “sacred doctrine,” but which I think is better rendered as “holy teaching.” This is an activity that is first and foremost God’s activity of self-revelation through the prophets, the apostles, and preeminently through Jesus Christ. It is secondarily our human activity of passing on that revelation through teaching, which involves not simply rote repetition but a kind of critical reflection by which we seek to understand how to hand on this teaching faithfully. So in this book I hope not simply to introduce theSumma theologiae,but to introduce it in such a way that its character as “holy teaching” is manifest.

THOMAS’SLIFE ANDTIMES

When studying some theologians, it seems crucial to understand their lives in order to understand their thought. If one wants to study Augustine, for example, hisConfessionswould seem the logical place to start, not least because his account of his own conversion illuminates the struggle between sin and grace—the earthly and the heavenly cities—that is at the heart of his theology. But not so with Thomas Aquinas. His writing displays little of the passion of Augustine: the tone is measured, the language without rhetorical flourish—reduced to essentials for the sake of clarity. One interpreter, presumably paying Thomas a compliment, went so far as to say that he “is hardly an ‘author,’ or even a ‘man,’ but rather a channel connecting us directly with intelligible truth.”[2]When confronted with a direct channel to intelligible truth, one is likely to be far more interested in the truth revealed than in the channel’s family history. Thus have some viewed Thomas.

But I think this view of Thomas is mistaken. His life, while lacking the drama of Augustine’s, is still important for understanding his work. More specifically, although one could remain ignorant of the pious anecdotes that surround Thomas without much loss in understanding his theology, some knowledge of the context in which he lived, taught, and wrote is crucial. Even if Thomas’s theology is one for the ages, one cannot properly understand that theology if one does not understand its author’s place within his own age. For those seeking a full presentation of Thomas’s life, we now have Jean-Pierre Torrell’s authoritative biography, which is the first part of a two-part interpretation of Aquinas. For those who want something briefer, Simon Tugwell provides an excellent short biography in the introduction to hisAlbert and Thomas: Selected Writings.For those who want to know only the most essential information, I offer the following.

Youth

Thomas Aquinas was born around the year 1225 at the Aquino family castle in Roccasecca, midway between Rome and Naples, in what was then the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Thomas was the eighth of nine children of Landulf d’Aquino, born to his wife, Theodora. Landulf was a minor noble, described in the necrology of the monastery at Monte Cassino as a “knight.” Thomas was born at the beginning of a time of conflict between Emperor Frederick II and a series of popes,[3]which caused problems for his family, since his father was a vassal of Frederick and their lands lay on the border between imperial and papal lands. It was customary for the youngest son of a noble family to be offered for service to the church, and so, around the age of five (ca. 1230/31), Thomas was taken to live at the famous Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino (which was nearby) as what was called a “child oblate.” This may sound a bit callous to us, but it was a common practice in the Middle Ages, not unlike sending a child to boarding school.Oblatiois different fromprofessio(i.e., becoming a monk) in that it does not involve solemn vows. Thomas would have been able to decide for himself if he wanted to profess vows, but it is not unlikely that his family hoped he would eventually become abbot of the monastery. But Monte Cassino was a contested territory between the emperor and the pope, and in 1239 Frederick’s troops took it over, turned it into a fortress, and began expelling the monks. Thomas probably left about this time, with a recommendation from the monks to his family that he should go study at the University of Naples. When he was around the age of fifteen Thomas entered thestudium generaleat Naples to study the liberal arts and philosophy (not theology). Universities were a relatively recent educational innovation, and this one had been founded by Frederick II with the idea of training men to serve the emperor in various official capacities. The education offered in Naples was broader and more secular than in some of the universities. Here Thomas would have studied the seven “liberal arts”—what Vergerius called “those studies . . . which are worthy of a free man.” These studies were divided into thetrivium(grammar, rhetoric and logic) and quadrivium(arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music) and were the basis for any higher study, whether law, medicine, or theology. It was at Naples that Thomas encountered two new phenomena that would exert profound influence on him and that are crucial for understanding Thomas and his times: the works of Aristotle, and members of the Order of Preachers, more commonly known as the Dominicans.

Aristotle

Boethius, in the sixth century, had conceived a plan to translate all of the works of Plato and Aristotle into Latin, so they would remain available to a Western Europe that was rapidly losing its intellectual ties with the Greek-speaking East. He had gotten only as far as translating Aristotle’sPosterior Analytics,a work on logic, when this plan was cut short. Boethius ran afoul of the Emperor Theodoric and was executed in 524. A s a consequence, up until the thirteenth century most of the works of Aristotle were lost to the West. His logic was available in Boethius’s translation, but no one knew anything of his works of natural science, metaphysics, or ethics. About the turn of the thirteenth century works by Aristotle and by Arab philosophers commentating on his work began to be translated into Latin. This was a revolutionary event. Relatively quickly, the Western intellectual world was introduced to a body of thought that

offered a comprehensive interpretation of the world. Most disturbing was the fact that this interpretation seemed to have no need for Christian revelation. Christianity had long before made a kind of peace with Platonic thought (e.g., in St. Augustine), but Aristotle contradicted Plato on many points and seemed to call into question the harmony of natural and supernatural wisdom. For example, Christians had long before appropriated Plato’s notion of a realm of “forms” as a way of speaking of the Christian notion of divine ideas in the mind of God. Aristotle, however, conceived of “form” as existing, not in a transcendent realm, but immanently in particular things. In this and numerous other cases, Aristotle’s departure from Plato seemed to threaten Christian doctrine. And it did not help Aristotle’s cause that many of the first Latin translations to become available were made not from the original Greek, but from Arabic translations made by Muslim infidels. Because of the threat that Aristotle seemed to pose to faith, the study of his scientific and metaphysical works was banned at many universities, most notably at the University of Paris (the full Aristotelian corpus finally became an official part of the curriculum at Paris sometime between 1252–1255, though it was undoubtedly taught unofficially prior to this). But this ban was not in effect at Naples, and it was here that Thomas first studied Aristotle—not only his logic and ethics, but also his scientific and metaphysical works. Later, in his formation as a Dominican, Thomas continued to study Aristotle under Albert the Great, and toward the end of his life, Thomas wrote a number of commentaries on the works of Aristotle. To anyone who has read Thomas, it is clear that Aristotle’s philosophy is one of his chief tools for solving intellectual puzzles, though he frequently ends up making that tool do jobs for which it was never designed.

The Order of Preachers

Dominic Guzman was born in Spain in 1171–1172 and died in 1221. He founded the Order of Preachers in 1215 to combat heresy—specifically the Cathar or Albigensian heresy in southern France—through preaching. The Dominicans were part of a broadly based and diverse movement known as thevita apostolica,which sought a return to the kind of life depicted in the Acts of the Apostles: a shared life of preaching, prayer, and poverty. Along with the Franciscans (founded around the same time by Francis of Assisi), the Dominicans were mendicants,meaning that rather than living off the income from property, as traditional monastics did, they begged to support themselves. This freedom from income-generating property allowed them to minister in cities, which were undergoing a revival. The mendicant orders emphasized active service and were not strictly contemplative, again differentiating them from traditional monastics. Because of the Dominican emphasis on preaching they also emphasized education, establishing houses of study at major universities. Just as Aristotle presented a new intellectual way of proceeding, the mendicant orders presented an innovative form of religious life, one that responded to recent developments such as the rise of universities and the revival of urban life. As such, they were the object of much suspicion. The Dominicans had founded a priory in N aples in 1231, although there were only two friars in residence when Thomas arrived (Frederick II had kicked most of the mendicants out of his realm). One of these friars, John of San Giuliano, inspired in Thomas a desire to join the Dominicans and to live their life of prayer and study in the service of preaching. We are not exactly sure when Thomas entered the Dominicans, though it was probably in early 1244,[4]and it touched off the most obviously dramatic event in his life. His family was not thrilled at his interest in the Dominicans, who seemed to them a bunch of upstart radicals, and certainly not the kind of group with which the son of a nobleman should be associated. Thomas’s family no doubt still harbored the hope that he would someday become the abbot of Monte Cassino. The friars, foreseeing trouble, decided Thomas should get out of Naples, so they sent him first to the Dominican community at Santa Sabina in Rome and then on to either Bologna or Paris (scholars differ as to his destination). His mother, seeking to talk some sense into his head, just missed him in both Naples and Rome.[5]Thereupon she sent a force, which included his brother Rinaldo, to intercept him and take him to the family castle in Roccasecca, so they could persuade him to adopt a more conventional path than that of a Dominican friar. His family kept him under a sort of under house—or castle—arrest for about a year, during which time he is said to have memorized the Bible and studied theSentencesof Peter Lombard. John of San Giuliano was able to visit him. Thomas also engaged in discussions with his sister