Rediscovering Aquinas and the Sacraments ed. by Matthew Levering, Michael Dauphinais (review)

97 Book Reviews RH is a book well worth reading, and Hillenbrand’s basic theological premise, that “one must be active not only in the liturgy but in the extension of the liturgy in the world” (130), should not be forgotten. Indeed, Tuzik’s authorial hope is well grounded: “that the publication of this book will keep the fires burning for still more progress in liturgical renewal and social justice, for much of what Reynold Hillenbrand believed and taught is still useful in the life of the Church today” (ix). David Pitt Loras College Dubuque, IA Matthew Levering and Michael Dauphinais, eds. Rediscovering Aquinas and the Sacraments Chicago/Mundelein IL: Hillenbrand Books, 2009 xiv + 143 pages. Paperback. $18.00 As the title of the book suggests, this work centers on the recovery of Aquinas’ sacramental theology. Though not a comprehensive introduction to the sacraments in Aquinas, it provides a good primer that allows one to enter into the key points of Aquinas’ thought on each of the seven sacraments. In addition, it examines the notions of worship and liturgical solemnitas. The book consists of a compilation of essays, drawing from many notable Thomistic scholars. Even with the diverse approaches of the authors, several general points emerge from the work. The first is that there is a dearth of scholarship on the sacraments in Aquinas. The editors state in their introduction that “Aquinas’ sacramental theology is not particularly well represented today in theological formation,” and therefore “a new introduction to St Thomas Aquinas’s sacramental theology is needed” (x). Part of the reason for this is that Aquinas’ theology in general is misunderstood as overly rationalistic. The late Cardinal Avery Dulles describes this common misconception as follows: “Most of us think of Thomas Aquinas as a man totally absorbed in scholastic abstractions, a man of books who put his feelings aside in order to follow out the demands of an inexorable logic” (1). What all the authors demonstrate is that St Thomas actually had what Dulles describes as “a burning love for the liturgy,” which flows forth from “an intense and unremitting life of worship” (1). Recovering Aquinas’ sacramental theology should not be seen as a simply historical pursuit, but rather one ordered toward the renewal of contemporary theology. These essays represent Aquinas’ thought 98 Antiphon 15.1 (2011) as deeply spiritual, rooted in God’s trinitarian life and our liturgical participation in it, which at the same time uses metaphysics to support this trajectory. The mystical, personal, and relational aspects of Aquinas’ sacramental theology are enhanced by a philosophical depth that is clearly theocentric, hylomorphic, and realist. This can be seen especially in the consistent relation that is highlighted between the natural and supernatural in Aquinas’ sacramental thought. The sacraments reflect our hylomorphic nature and arouse devotion in us through the use of signs. Aquinas’ analogy, referenced throughout the book, of the order of the sacraments from bodily life, serves as one striking example of this relation. Finally, at 143 pages the work is certainly not an exhaustive or even comprehensive introduction to the topic, but rather a brief introduction that highlights the key points that shed light on the whole of Aquinas’ sacramental theology . The brevity of the book by no means dismisses the important insights of the book that speculatively advance understanding of Aquinas’ thought.1 Cardinal Dulles in the first chapter provides the general principles of worship in the Summa theologiae that provide the context for Aquinas’ treatment of the sacraments. The three general principles he discusses are religion, examining Aquinas treatment of it as a virtue; the sacred, which he exposits as a “relational reality” that “belongs to whatever is connected to the divine”; and the ecclesial dimension, which shows the Church as the locus of true worship (2, 4, 9). Michael Dauphinais begins the direct treatment of the sacraments by looking at Christ and the metaphysics of baptism, focusing particularly on the enduring role of baptism in the Christian life by initiating a new creation and providing the basis for all Christian worship through the imparting of a character. Robert Miner presents a straightforward explanation of Aquinas’ description of confirmation in the Summa, with an...