Sacred doctrine is both a speculative and a practical science, because it considers what belongs to each under the one formal aspect of revelation.
It is, however, mainly speculative, because it is more concerned with divine things than human acts.
That is, it treats human acts only so far as they bring man to speculative knowledge of God, i.e., to eternal bliss.
"It is because the contemporary alternatives seem so one-sided and are not more evidently solutions to the problems which Thomas faced, and partly solved, that we return to him and to the tradition of theology and philosophy in which his Summa Theologiae appears: theology as the science of the first principle and this as the total knowledge of reality in its unity." -- Wayne J. Hankey, God in Himself (Oxford University Press, 1987), p.159.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
Q1 A3: Whether sacred doctrine is one science?
Yes. Sacred doctrine is one science, not many, because its formal unity is from whatever has been divinely revealed.
Revelation is one.
Revelation is one.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Q1 A2: Whether sacred doctrine is a science?
Yes. Sacred doctrine is a science because it proceeds, not from self-evident principles, but from the conclusions of a higher science (which then function in turn as sacred doctrine's principles).
An example of something similar: music uses principles which are established as conclusions in mathematics.
Note that the science higher than metaphysics is the knowledge of God and the saints.
An example of something similar: music uses principles which are established as conclusions in mathematics.
Note that the science higher than metaphysics is the knowledge of God and the saints.
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Prima Pars, Q1 A1: Is sacred doctrine necessary?
Yes. Divine science is required because revelation (in order to achieve salvation for all) reveals what exceeds human reason.
Note the Reply to Objection 2: as Aquinas well knew, there is more than one proof that the earth is round; for example, one is geometrical, another physical. In the same way, there is no conflict or tension between faith and reason.
As Pope John Paul II liked to say, truth cannot contradict truth.
Note the Reply to Objection 2: as Aquinas well knew, there is more than one proof that the earth is round; for example, one is geometrical, another physical. In the same way, there is no conflict or tension between faith and reason.
As Pope John Paul II liked to say, truth cannot contradict truth.