Formation in holiness : Thomas Aquinas on Sacra doctrina / Fainche Ryan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ryan, Fáinche.

Contributor:

Class of 1897 Book Fund.

Series:

Publications of the Thomas Instituut te Utrecht ; new ser. ; v. 12.

Publications of the Thomas Instituut te Utrecht ; new ser. ; v. 12

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Thomas, Aquinas, Saint, 1225?-1274--Criticism and interpretation.

Thomas.

Thomas, Aquinas, Saint, 1225?-1274.

Criticism and interpretation.

Genre:

Academic theses.

Physical Description:

217 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Leuven : Peeters, 2007.

Summary:

'What is God?' was the question of Thomas Aquinas; 'What is theology for?' is the question of this book. These two concerns are inextricably connected and while the first question can never be adequately answered it is in and through the process of answering it that an answer to the second can be found. The theology that is a sacra doctrina facilitates an ever deepening relationship with the God who is love. This book suggests that this is precisely what Thomas' life as a Dominican friar and theologian witnessed to. Theology is a work of fides et ratio, faith and reason. Hence this book claims that the doing of theology is best understood as not only an academic discipline but also a sacramental, a holy-making one. Far from feeling a need to leave their brains at the door of the church, as contemporary Christians may feel is asked of them, the suggestion is that the development of our intellect is central to human growth into the image and likeness of God. It is a teaching of Thomas Aquinas that the 'ultimate beatitude of a human consists in the use of their highest function ... the operation of the intellect' and so he is a natural partner for this enterprise.

Contents:

Chapter 1 'Knowing the 'Infinitely Knowable' 5

1.1 The Language of Holiness 7

1.1.1 A Magister in Sacra Scriptura 10

1.2 Question 12, An Overview 12

1.2.1 God is 'supremely knowable' 13

1.3 "Seeing God" 15

1.3.1 Vidi Dominum? 19

1.3.2 Lumen fidei, lumen gloriae 21

1.4 Sub quo, quo, a quo? 23

1.4.1 Recognising God 27

Chapter 2 Essentia Dei Fit Forma Intelligibilis Intellectus? 31

2.1 Ad Imaginem Dei 33

2.1.1 Human Dignity 34

2.1.2 The Image of the Whole Trinity 36

2.2 Nature and Grace 39

2.2.1 The Illumination of the Intellect 41

2.3 Habitus Virtusque 42

2.3.1 Seeing More Perfectly 43

2.4 Is to See to Comprehend? 46

2.4.1 'Comprehendere'? 48

2.4.2 '... et beatus esset' 50

Chapter 3 To the Vision of the Godhead 53

3.1 In hac vita 55

3.1.1 Seeing the Essence of God 57

3.1.2 A Transitory Participation 58

3.2 Rapture 61

3.2.1 Sharing in the Light of Glory 62

3.3 'qui fuit magister' 63

3.4 Participation of God's Light 66

3.5 'Looking Towards Heaven' 67

3.5.1 Assisted by Grace 70

3.5.2 God and the Human 71

3.6 A Question of Virtue 72

3.6.1 Progress in the Knowledge of Faith 75

Chapter 4 "Hallowed be Thy Name" 81

4.1 Via Negativa 84

4.1.1 Res significata, modus significandi 85

4.1.2 Analogy 88

4.2 Naming God 90

4.2.1 Verb or Noun? 92

4.3 'Ego dixi, dii estis' 95

4.3.1 'qui est' 95

4.3.2 Ego sum qui sum? 99

4.4 'Est maxime proprium nomen Dei' 100

4.4.1 The Peculiar Name of God 103

Chapter 5 A Pedagogical Vision 107

5.1 A Personal Vision 108

5.2 To Educate Beginners 111

5.3 The Subject is God 116

5.3.1 A Sacrament? 118

5.3.2 Aid, or Hindrance, to Ecumenism? 121

5.4 "Insaisissable sacra doctrina"? 122

5.5 Sacra doctrina is simply wisdom 123

5.5.1 'Non solum ... sed et' 126

5.5.2 Compatible with mortal sin? 127

5.5.3 From God 129

5.6 The Pedagogy of Holy Teaching 129

5.6.1 For Human Salvation 132

5.7 Sacra Doctrina is a Science 134

5.8 Revelata, Revelabilia 136

5.9 God's Greatest Work 139

Chapter 6 To Speak of God 143

6.1 The Vocation of a Theologian 145

6.1.1 A Biblical Theology 147

6.2 Inaugural Lectures 150

6.2.1 Watered by the Wisdom of God 151

6.3 A Matter of Argument? 154

6.3.1 Nature and Grace 155

6.4 The Language of Metaphor 159

6.5 The Author is God 160

6.6 Scripture as a Way of Doing Theology 164

6.6.1 Jesus and the Woman of Samaria 166

6.6.2 "I Thirst" 167

6.6.3 A Spiritual Conversation, A Sacra Doctrina 168

6.6.4 Ego sum qui loquor tecum, scilicet Christus 173.

Notes:

Dissertation.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 186-212)

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Class of 1897 Book Fund.

ISBN:

9789042920125

9042920122

OCLC:

209336574