Aristotle in Aquinas's Theology

by Gilles Emery (Editor), Matthew Levering (Editor)

Aristotle in Aquinas's Theology explores the role of Aristotelian concepts, principles, and themes in Thomas Aquinas's theology. Each chapter investigates the significance of Aquinas's theological reception of Aristotle in a central theological the Trinity, the angels, soul and body, the Mosaic law, grace, charity, justice, contemplation and action, Christ, and the sacraments. In general, the essays focus on the Summa theologiae , but some range more widely in Aquinas's corpus. For some time, it has above all been the influence of Aristotle on Aquinas's philosophy that has been the center of attention. Perhaps in reaction to philosophical neo-Thomism, or perhaps because this Aristotelian influence appears no longer necessary to demonstrate, the role of Aristotle in Aquinas's theology presently receives less theological attention than does Aquinas's use of other authorities (whether Scripture or particular Fathers), especially in domains outside of theological ethics.
Indeed, in some theological circles the influence of Aristotle upon Aquinas's theology is no longer well understood. Readers will encounter here the great Aristotelian themes, such as act and potency, God as pure act, substance and accidents, power and generation, change and motion, fourfold causality, form and matter, hylomorphic anthropology, the structure of intellection, the relationship between knowledge and will, happiness and friendship, habits and virtues, contemplation and action, politics and justice, the best form of government, and private property and the common good. The ten essays in this book engage Aquinas's reception of Aristotle in his theology from a variety of points of historical, philosophical, and constructively theological.

Genres: Theology, Philosophy

282 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Gilles Emery was born and grew up in the Swiss Alps. His language is French, but he likes speaking English. He is a member of the Swiss Province of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). He was ordained a priest in 1989. He has been a high school and University chaplain in Fribourg, and a parish vicar in Geneva, as well as an assistant of Prof. J.-P. Torrell at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Full professor of dogmatic theology at Fribourg University, Switzerland, from 1997 (teaching on the Triune God, Christology, Creation, theological anthropology, and Eschatology). Member of the ITC (International Theological Commission) from 2004 to 2014. he is the chief editor of the French journal "Nova et Vetera" since 2011. In 2012, he received the STM degree (Sacrae Theologiae Magister) from the Master of the Order of Preachers. For more details, including a list of his articles and contributions, go to his webpage: http://www.unifr.ch/dogme/accueil/rec...

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful collection of essays on Thomas Aquinas's appropriation of Aristotle's philosophy in the pursuit of teaching theology clearly. Aquinas was not the slave to Aristotle that the caricatures would have us believe, yet there were times when he probably accepted Aristotle's notions too readily. Still, as grace perfects nature, it is foolish to ignore the wisdom of Aristotle's philosophy in helping us to organise and present revealed theology clearly. I read this volume on a PDF, which is great in many ways, but collections of essays do not "work" quite so well in ebook formats.