Lecture 18 - Aquinas

Question 1

Who was Thomas Aquinas?

Answer 1

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) was a medieval philosopher and theologian from the Kingdom of Naples in Italy.

Question 2

What was Aquinas’s early life like?

Answer 2

He was born in a family castle and sent to Mont Casino for education, likely with the expectation of becoming an Abbott.

Question 3

Where did Aquinas study after Mont Casino?

Answer 3

He moved to the University of Naples, where he was introduced to Aristotelianism.

Question 4

What did Aquinas think of Aristotle?

Answer 4

He embraced Aristotle enthusiastically and referred to him as ‘The Philosopher.’

Question 5

What significant life choice did Aquinas make at age 19?

Answer 5

He joined the Dominican Friars, attracted by their commitment to study.

Question 6

What happened to Aquinas during his journey to Paris?

Answer 6

He was kidnapped by his family to prevent him from becoming a friar and held captive for 18 months.

Question 7

What was Aquinas’s response to his family’s attempts to change his mind?

Answer 7

He resisted their efforts, famously chasing away a woman sent to tempt him with a hot poker.

Question 8

What are some of Aquinas’s notable works?

Answer 8

He authored significant texts including a commentary on the gospels, a defense of Christianity, and the Summa Theologica.

Question 9

What did Aquinas state about his writings in December 1273?

Answer 9

He quit writing, declaring that he viewed all his writings as straw.

Question 10

When did Aquinas die?

Answer 10

He died in March 1274.

Question 11

What is the Donum Superadditum in Aquinas’s theology?

Answer 11

It refers to the gift of grace that God adds to man at creation, enabling righteousness and enjoyment of God.

Question 12

What happens to the Donum Superadditum after the fall of man?

Answer 12

The capacity for righteousness is lost, and all descendants of Adam are born without this superadded gift.

Question 13

How does Aquinas define original sin?

Answer 13

He states that original sin is not ignorance but a result of the human will gone bad.

Question 14

What is Aquinas’s view on the will and original sin?

Answer 14

The will is particularly damaged by sin due to the loss of the Donum Superadditum, impairing the ability to pursue good.

Question 15

What does Aquinas say about death?

Answer 15

He believes death is not natural but a consequence of sin.

Question 16

Was sin a necessary precursor to the incarnation according to Aquinas?

Answer 16

He gives a soft yes, suggesting the incarnation could have happened apart from sin but is always tied to it.

Question 17

Was the incarnation necessary for salvation?

Answer 17

Aquinas states it was a consequent necessity, as God determined salvation through the incarnation.

Question 18

Why is the incarnation fitting according to Aquinas?

Answer 18

It reveals something about God and provides a perfect model of faith, hope, and love.

Question 19

What is Aquinas’s view on satisfaction in relation to sin?

Answer 19

He agrees with Anselm that Christ makes satisfaction for sin, restoring the relationship between God and man.

Question 20

How does grace come to us in the medieval church?

Answer 20

Through saints and sacraments.

Question 21

What is Aquinas’s later view on grace?

Answer 21

He believes grace is necessary before any human action, enabling us to will and perform good.

Question 22

What does justification mean in a narrow sense for Aquinas?

Answer 22

Justification is an instantaneous grace of God that works righteousness within a person.

Question 23

What does justification mean in a broad sense?

Answer 23

It encompasses the full process of salvation, including faith, repentance, and the infusion of righteousness.

Question 24

How does Aquinas define faith?

Answer 24

Faith is a disposition that seeks salvation and is shaped by charity or love.

Question 25

What role does Mary play in Aquinas’s theology?

Answer 25

Mary is viewed as a key figure in salvation, believed to be without sin and a mediatrix for grace.

Question 26

What is the significance of Marian theology in Aquinas’s work?

Answer 26

Marian theology emphasizes her role in salvation and her relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Question 27

What is the concept of supererogation in relation to saints?

Answer 27

Saints perform above and beyond the demands of law, thus having abounding grace to serve as intermediaries.

Question 28

How did relics play a role in the medieval church?

Answer 28

Relics were believed to convey grace and were often sought after for their miraculous properties.

Question 29

What are the effects of baptism according to Aquinas?

Answer 29

Baptism cleanses original sin but does not restore the inclination to do good.

Question 30

What is the understanding of sacraments in the medieval church?

Answer 30

Sacraments are signs that affect what they signify, leading to a change in us and are effective for salvation.

Question 31

How does grace come to us?

Answer 31

Grace comes to us through the sacraments.

Question 32

What is the effect of baptism according to Thomas?

Answer 32

Baptism cleanses us of original sin but does not restore our will to do good.

Question 33

What is required for each mortal sin after baptism?

Answer 33

Justice requires more than forgiveness; it needs compensation in penance.

Question 34

What is the purpose of penance?

Answer 34

Penance serves as a moral reform and compensation for sin, acting as a deterrent to future sin.

Question 35

How was penance understood in the medieval church?

Answer 35

Originally, it involved sorrow for sin, confession, and satisfaction for wrongs.

Question 36

What role did pilgrimages play in penance?

Answer 36

Pilgrimages were prescribed to escape temptation and became associated with the pursuit of the Holy Land.

Question 37

What was the idea of paid indulgences?

Answer 37

Indulgences allowed people to pay for forgiveness of their sins or the sins of deceased relatives.

Question 38

What was the relationship between the rich and poor regarding penance?

Answer 38

The Church developed different penances for the rich and poor, leading to the concept of peasant and petit penance.

Question 39

What is the significance of one’s disposition in relationship to the Mass?

Answer 39

Grace is received in proportion to one’s devotion and fervor during the Mass.

Question 40

What happens during the consecration in the Mass?

Answer 40

The elements are believed to become the actual body and blood of the Lord.

Question 41

What was Radbertus’s view on the Mass?

Answer 41

Radbertus believed the presence of Christ in the Mass communicates grace, regardless of the partaker’s intentions.

Question 42

What was Ratramnus’s position on the Mass?

Answer 42

Ratramnus argued that the elements are a sign of grace, not the actual body and blood of Christ.

Question 43

What did Berengar of Tours argue regarding the Mass?

Answer 43

Berengar argued that the elements do not turn into the body and blood of the Lord, as Christ is in Heaven.

Question 44

What is the concept of ex opere operato?

Answer 44

It means grace is received from the work having been worked, independent of the recipient’s faith.

Question 45

Can one be sure of their salvation according to Aquinas?

Answer 45

No, Aquinas believed only a saint through divine revelation could be sure of their salvation.

Question 46

What is presumption in the context of salvation?

Answer 46

Presumption is an immoderate hope for pardon without penance or glory without merit.

Question 47

What was the outcome of the denunciation of Thomas in 1277?

Answer 47

The denunciation did not last, and Thomas was canonized by 1323.

Question 48

What recognition did Thomas receive by 1567?

Answer 48

He was declared a doctor of the Church.