In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

69 @ [D]uplex est perfectio; scilicet prima, et secunda: prima perfectio est forma uniuscuiusque, per quam habet esse; unde ab ea nulla res destituitur dum manet; secunda perfectio est operatio, quae est finis rei, vel id per quod ad finem devenitur et hac perfectione interdum res destituitur.1 With this rich quote, we leave behind the simplicity of the Methodist house of doctrine and enter into the vast cathedral of thomas’ theology. this transition requires that we not only switch metaphors but that we allow the semantic range of the concept of perfection to stretch beyond Wesley’s normal bounds. Wesley’s chief interest lay in Christian perfection, but for thomas duplex est perfectio: the perfection of the form and the perfection of operation. thomas teaches the doctrine of Christian perfection within the larger framework of the doctrine of God and creation. over the next two chapters we will consider the twofold character of perfection and how it is attained. For this purpose, i will mostly, though not exclusively, as the opening quote shows, focus our attention on the Summa Theologiae. it is in this work that we find the angelic doctor’s most mature and extensive treatment of perfection. in this chapter, we will begin our exploration of the thomist cathedral by considering his teaching on the perfection of God, a perfection that can be considered from two aspects, that of being and of person. From there we will move to a consideration of the twofold perfection of the universe, the perfection of its form, and the perfection of its operation. From this cosmic backdrop, we will zoom in to focus our attention on that small portion of the universe that is the Chapter Three Aquinas on Christian Perfection 70 Wesley, Aquinas, and Christian Perfection immediate concern of this study—the human. in particular, we will consider what it means to be made in the image of God and how this image is both perfect by nature and perfected by the twin operations of knowing and loving. How this perfection is concretely accomplished in Christ will be the subject of the next chapter. the structure of these two chapters conforms in outline to the structure of the Summa Theologiae itself. the perfection of God, the universe, and the first perfection of the image correspond to the Prima Pars, the second perfection to the Secunda Pars, and the way of perfection, Jesus Christ, to the Tertia Pars. this correspondence is no accident. in his magisterial treatise on st. thomas Aquinas,2 Jean Pierre torrell argues convincingly that Aquinas must be understood not just as an academic theologian but also as a spiritual master. A good case can be made for reading the Summa Theologiae as something analogous to Bonaventure’s Itinerarium mentis ad Deum or san Juan de la Cruz’ Subida al Monte Carmelo.3 if this is the case, then readers of thomas must attend not just to the content of his teaching but also to its salutary order. The Perfection of God in the Summa Theologiae, the question of God’s perfection follows thomas’ consideration of God’s existence and divine simplicity. As one would expect, given the common doctor’s declared intent to unfold his teaching according to the order of the subject matter, the placement of the question of perfection is significant. it follows Aquinas’ reflections on the existence of God and the intrinsic necessity of the apophatic moment in theology. surprisingly perhaps, but wholly in agreement with the church’s teaching, Aquinas states that, in this life, we cannot know what God is (quid sit) but only what he is not (quid non sit), and we attain this knowledge by the way of remotion. We know what God is not by removing or stripping away from our consideration of God those things that are contrary to the existence of God. the thomist via negativa begins by removing composition and motion from the list of attributes that can be predicated of God: God is not a composite; God is not moved, God is not limited, etc. However, lest we read thomas as a skeptic who would rob theological discourse of any real relation with its subject, namely God, we must note again the order of the opening questions of the Summa. the question of the simplicity of God follows the question of the existence of God. Why? Because the ordo cognoscendi is based on the ordo essendi. rudi te velde cogently expresses the relationship between negation...

Share