Sin : a Thomistic psychology / Steven J. Jensen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jensen, Steven J., 1964- author.

Contributor:

Class of 1924 Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Thomas, Aquinas, Saint, 1225?-1274.

Thomas.

Sin--Christianity--History of doctrines--Middle Ages, 600-1500.

Sin.

Good and evil--History of doctrines--Middle Ages, 600-1500.

Good and evil.

Good and evil--History of doctrines.

Sin--Christianity--History of doctrines.

Physical Description:

ix, 306 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : The Catholic University of America Press, [2018]

Summary:

If the human soul is made for good, then how do we choose evil? On the other hand, perhaps the human soul is not made for good. Perhaps the magnitude of human depravity reveals that the human soul may directly choose evil. Notably, Thomas Aquinas rejects this explanation for the prevalence of human sin. He insists that in all our desires we seek what is good. How, then, do we choose evil? Only by mistaking evil for good. This solution to the difficulty, however, leads Aquinas into another conundrum. How can we be held responsible for sins committed under a misunderstanding of the good? The sinner, it seems, has simply made an intellectual blunder. Sin has become an intellectual defect rather than a depravity of will and desire. Sin: A Thomistic Psychology grapples with these difficulties. A solution to the problem must address a host of issues. Does the ultimate good after which we all strive have unity, or is it simply a collection of basic goods? What is venial sin? What momentous choice must a child make in his first moral act? In what way do passion, a habitually evil will, and ignorance cause human beings to sin? What is the first cause of moral evil? Do human beings have free will to determine themselves to particular actions? The discussion of these topics focuses upon the interplay of reason, will, and the emotions, examining the inner workings of our moral deliberations. Ultimately, the book reveals how the failure to maintain balance in our deliberations subverts our fidelity to the one true good.

Contents:

The enigma of an evil will

The order of actions to the ultimate end

The satisfaction of desire

Venial sin

The first moral act

The shared good

Sins of passion

Weakness of will

Sins from an evil will

Sins of ignorance

Omissions

The first cause of moral evil

Compatibilism or libertarianism

Free decision

Choose life.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Class of 1924 Book Fund.

ISBN:

9780813230337

0813230330

OCLC:

1020028663