The Trinitarian Theology of St Thomas Aquinas

456 Pages·2008·1.77 MB·English

by  Gilles Emery

THE TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY OF
SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS
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The Trinitarian
Theology of Saint
Thomas Aquinas
GILLES EMERY OP
Translatedby
FRANCESCA ARAN MURPHY
1
3
GreatClarendonStreet,Oxfordox26dp
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Emery,Gilles.ThetrinitariantheologyofSaintThomasAquinas
GillesEmery;translatedbyFrancescaAranMurphy.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
1. Thomas,Aquinas,Saint,1225?–1274. 2. Trinity-Historyof
doctrines–MiddleAges,600–1500. I. Title.
BT111.3.E4413 2007
231’.044092—dc22 2006032595
TypesetbySPIPublisherServices,Pondicherry,India
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ISBN0–19–920682–1 978–0–19–920682–7
13579108642
Acknowledgements
Manypeoplehavehelpedmetopreparethisbook.Inattractingmyattention
to what is interesting and difficult in many of the questions of Trinitarian
theology,thestudentsoftheFacultyofTheologyoftheUniversityofFribourg
have encouraged me to project this introductory work. My confre`res at the
Dominican House of Studies in Washington DC gave me the fraternal and
intellectual hospitality which enabled me to redraft it. Father Jean-Pierre
Torrell’s critical reading of the book gave me the benefit of his valuable
observationsandsuggestions:mycordialthanksgotohim.
I must finally give a particular acknowledgement to Francesca Murphy,
whotooktheinitiativeinmakingthisEnglishtranslationandwhohasmade
manyameliorationstotheoriginalFrenchtextinthecourseofcompletingit.
Mygratitudeisallthemoreactivebecausethemakingofthetranslationhas
createdtheopportunityforstimulatingandfraternaldialoguewithaspirited
theologian and a sister in the Order of St Dominic. In her patient and
determinedwithstandingofmysuggestions,FrancescaMurphyhasreminded
me of the meaning of St Thomas’ remark that, ‘while safeguarding the
meaning of the truths which he translates, a good translator must adapt his
styletothespiritofthelanguageinwhichheexpressesit’.Ifthisworkholds
the attention of English-speaking readers, the credit belongs to Francesca
Murphy. Both the author and translator are grateful for the work of David
Sanders.
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Contents
Abbreviations xi
Introduction 1
1. TheRevelationoftheTrinity 7
1. Revelation,Creation,andSalvation 7
2. TheRevelationoftheTrinity throughitsWorks 9
2. Thomas’ExpositionofSpeculativeTrinitarianTheology 18
1. BiblicalExegesisandTrinitarianTheology 18
2. TheAimofSpeculativeTrinitarianTheology 22
(a) ThePrerogativesoftheFaith 22
(b) TheRejectionofRationalism 23
(c) UnderstandingtheFaith 26
(d) WhyInvestigateNotions,Relations,andProperties? 31
3. TheStructureofThomas’TreatiseontheTriuneGod 36
1. StThomas:VariousAccountsoftheMysteryoftheTrinity 36
2. ThePlanoftheTrinitarianTreatiseintheSummaTheologiae 39
(a) ImmanentandEconomicTrinity 40
(b) TheEssenceandtheDistinctionofPersons:
theCommonandthe‘Proper’ 44
(c) TheGamePlanoftheTreatiseontheTrinity 48
4. TheProcessions 51
1. TheWord‘Procession’ 52
2. Action,theSourceofRelation 53
3. TheProblemsofArianismandofSabellianism 55
4. AProcessionwhichistheGenerationoftheWord 57
5. ADifferentProcession,whichisthatofLove 62
6. TheOrderoftheTrinitarianProcessions 69
7. TheCycleoftheTrinitarianProcessions 72
8. ‘Notional’Action 74
5. Relations 78
1. ElementsofthePatristicTeachingonRelation 79
2. RealRelationsinGod 84
3. TheBeingofDivineRelations 89
viii Contents
4. RelativeOpposition:Paternity,Filiation,Spiration,
andProcession 96
(a) RelativeOpposition 96
(b) Paternity,Filiation,Spiration,Procession 99
6. ThePerson 103
1. WhatisaPerson? 104
2. PersonandAnalogy 107
3. CorrelationsintheGreekandLatinTerminology 111
4. SubsistentRelations 114
5. RelationtheHeartofTrinitarianTheology 120
7. TrinitarianMonotheism 128
1. PersonalPlurality intheTriuneGod 128
2. TheTheologicalTerminologyofPlurality 132
3. ATranscendentalMultiplicity 137
4. TheConsubstantialityofthePersons 141
5. PersonandEssence:AProblemRaisedbyJoachimofFiore 145
6. TheWordGod 148
8. ThePersonoftheFather 151
1. TheNameWhichFitsBest:Father 153
2. TheFather:PrincipleandSource 156
3. ThePaternityoftheFather:FatheroftheSonandFatherofhis
Creatures 160
(a) TheAnalogousNetworkoftheName‘Father’ 160
(b) TheName‘Father’:thePersonoftheFatherandtheTrinity 163
4. Unbegottenness:TheUnengenderedFather 168
5. FromFather toFather 172
9. ThePersonoftheSon 176
1. StudyingthePersonalPropertyoftheSon 176
2. StudiesintheAnalogyoftheWord:Anthropology and
TrinitarianTheology 180
3. TheSon,WordofGod 185
4. TheWord,Wisdom,andSplendouroftheFather 192
5. TheWord,Creation,andtheEconomy:theFatherActs
throughhisSon 195
6. TheWordDisclosesandRevealstheFather 201
7. TheSonGivesUsaShareinhisSonship 204
8. TheWord,ImageoftheFather 209
9. ImageoftheFather,First-BornofCreation 214