Thomas Aquinas on Faith, Hope, and Love: A Summa of the Summa on the Theological Virtues

by Christopher Kaczor
Catholic University of America Press, 2020
Paper: 978-0-8132-3359-8, eISBN: 978-0-8132-3360-4

ABOUT THIS BOOK
Thomas Aquinas on Faith, Hope, and Love is designed to make as easy as possible a first reading of key passages from the Summa theologiae. This book contains selections from the Summa that are most influential, most important, or likely to be most interesting to the contemporary reader. The text of the Summa itself is edited and arranged for beginners. Each article begins with Thomas’s answers to the question at hand and then goes to the first objection, followed by the reply to the first objection, the second objection and its reply, and so on. This arrangement provides a greater accessibility and ease in following the argument. Below the text, copious footnotes illuminate the text as a professor in the classroom might. Some notes provide historical background to figures that Thomas presupposes his reader will know such as Gratian, Dionysius, and Lombard. Other notes offer doctrinal summaries of other parts of the Summa that illuminate what Thomas says about faith, hope, or love. Thomas had an enormous influence on theologians, Church councils, and popes after his time, so some footnotes examine this influence. Thomas drew heavily on sources of wisdom before him, so other footnotes summarize the teachings of earlier authors, such as Aristotle and Augustine. This book also contains introductory essays on the Summa, on faith, on hope, and on love, which provide an overview to situate the reader and place treatment of the theological virtues in its larger context of the Summa. For those who have never read Thomas Aquinas on faith, hope, and love (and for those who teach them), this book provides ready access to the wisdom of the Angelic doctor.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
Foreword by Peter Kreeft
Introduction
On Faith
Introduction to Faith
Article 1: Is the object of faith the First Truth?
Article 2: Is the object of faith something complex, by way of a proposition?
Article 3: Can anything false come under faith?
Article 7: Have the articles of faith increased in the course of time?
Article 9: Is it suitable for the articles of faith to be embodied in a creed?
Article 10: Does it belong to the Pope to draw up a creed of faith?
Article 2: Is the act of faith suitably distinguished as believing God (credere Deo), believing in a God (credere Deum) and believing in God (credere in Deum)?
Article 3: Is it necessary for salvation to believe anything beyond natural reason?
Article 4: Is it necessary to believe those things which can be proved by natural reason?
Article 7: Is it necessary for the salvation of all that they should believe explicitly in the mystery of Christ?.
Article 9: Is it meritorious to believe?
Article 10: Do reasons in support of what we believe lessen the merit of faith?
Article 3: Is charity the form of faith?
Article 5: Is faith a virtue?
Article 3: Can a man who disbelieves one article of faith have living faith in the other articles?
Article 4: Can faith be greater in one person than in another?
Article 1: Is faith infused into a human being by God?
Article 1: Is fear an effect of faith?
Article 1: Is unbelief a sin?
Article 12: Should the children of Jews and other unbelievers be baptized against their parents’ will?
Article 2: Is heresy properly about matters of faith?
On Hope
Introduction to Hope
Article 1: Is hope a virtue?
Article 2: Is eternal happiness the proper object of hope?
Article 5: Is hope a theological virtue?
Article 6: Is hope distinct from faith and love?
Article 2: Is there hope in those who are in heaven?
Article 3: Is hope in those who are in hell?
Article 4: Is there certainty in the hope of those on earth?
Article 1: Can God be feared?
Article 2: Is fear fittingly divided into filial, initial, servile and worldly fear?
Article 7: Is fear the beginning of wisdom?
Article 9: Is fear a gift of the Holy Spirit?
Article 1: Is despair a sin?
Article 1: Does presumption trust in God or in our own power?
Article 2: Is presumption a sin?
On Love (Charity)
Introduction to Love
Article 1: Is charity friendship?
Article 6: Is charity the most excellent of the virtues?
Article 7: Is any true virtue possible without charity?
Article 2: Is charity caused in us by divine infusion?
Article 4: Can charity increase?
Article 12: Is charity lost through one mortal sin?
Article 1: Does the love of charity stop at God?
Article 6: Should we love sinners out of charity?
Article 2: Should God be loved more than our neighbor?
Article 6: Should we love one neighbor more than another?
Article 1: Is joy an effect of charity?
Article 2: Is the spiritual joy that results from charity compatible with any sorrow?
Article 3: Can the spiritual joy that proceeds from charity be complete?
Article 2: Do all things desire peace?
Article 4: Is mercy the greatest of the virtues?
Article 2: Should we do good to all?
Article 3: Should we do more good to those who are more closely united to us?
Article 1: Is almsgiving an act of charity?
Article 2: Are the different works of mercy suitably listed?
Article 3: Are corporal works of mercy more important than spiritual works of mercy?
Article 5: Are works of mercy a matter of precept?
Article 4: Is a person bound to correct his prelate?
Article 1: Is it possible for anyone to hate God?
Article 2: Is hatred of God the greatest of sins?
Article 3: Is hatred of one’s neighbor always a sin?
Article 4: Is hatred of our neighbor the most grievous sin against our neighbor?
Article 4: Is envy a capital vice?
Article 1: Is contention a mortal sin
Article 1: Is schism a special sin?
Article 2: Is schism a graver sin than unbelief?
Article 1: Is it always sinful to wage war?
Article 2: Is rebellion against the authority of the state always a mortal sin?
Article 1: Should any precept be given about charity?
Article 2: Should two precepts of love have been given?
Article 4: Is it fittingly commanded that man should love God with his whole heart?
Article 6: Is it possible in this life to fulfill this precept of the love of God?
Article 7: Is the precept of love of our neighbor fittingly expressed?
General Index
Scripture Index

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