On a Complex Theory of a Simple God: An Investigation in Aquinas' Philosophical Theology

304 Pages·18.445 MB·English

On a Complex
Theory of a
Simple God
An Investigation in Aquinas’
Philosophical Theology
Christopher Hughes
CORNELL STUDIES IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
ISBN D-flDm-17ST-7
On a Complex Theory
of a Simple God
An Investigation in Aquinas-
Philosophical Theology
Christopher Hughes
According to Thomas Aquinas, natural
theology tells us that God is an absolutely
simple being, identical with His essence,
existence, and all His intrinsic properties. At
the same time, revealed theology tells us
that He is the triune and incarnate God of
Christianity : a Trinity of persons, one of
whom subsists in both a human and a divine
nature. Aquinas argues that these apparently
irreconcilable theses of natural and revealed
theology are in fact compatible.
In On a Complex Theory of a Simple God,
Christopher Hughes argues that Aquinas
fails in his attempt to reconcile absolute
simplicity with the doctrines of the Trinity
and the Incarnation. According to Hughes,
an absolutely simple God is an impossibility,
a being too lacking in structure to exist.
Moreover, since Aquinas’ teachings on the
Trinity and the Incarnation presuppose his
untenable account of absolute simplicity,
they inherit its untenability. Hughes also
offers a philosophically interesting, but
weaker, account of divine simplicity, and
explores its implications for the Thomistic
doctrines of the Trinity and Incarnation.
A dynamic blend of medieval scholarship
and original philosophical thought, Hughes’
work will be invaluable to medieval phi-
(continued on back flap)

On a Complex Theory
of a Simple God
Cornell Studies in the Philosophy of Religion
EDITED BY WILLIAM P. ALSTON
God, Time, and Knowledge
by William Hasker
The Nature of God: An Inquiry into Divine Attributes
by Edward R. Wierenga
On a Complex Theory of a Simple God: An Investigation in Aquinas’ Philo¬
sophical Theology
by Christopher Hughes
Christopher Hughes
ON A COMPLEX THEORY
OF A SIMPLE GOD
An Investigation in Aquinas’
Philosophical Theology
Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London
Copyright © 1989 by Cornell University
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book,
or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without
permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address
Cornell University Press, 124 Roberts Place, Ithaca, New York 14850.
First published 1989 by Cornell University Press.
International Standard Book Number 0-8014-1759-7
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 89-42877
Printed in the United States of America
Librarians: Library of Congress cataloging information
appears on the last page of the book.
The paper in this book is acid-free and meets the guidelines for
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for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.
In memory of my mother
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in 2018 with funding from
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