Who does Thomas Aquinas cite in Prima Secunda?

Here are the number of citations of authorities found in Secunda pars in the Summa theologiae of St. Thomas Aquinas. Obviously, St. Augustine and Aristotle are the most prevalent.

Augustine 1,630
Aristotle 1,546
Gregory the Great 439
Pseudo-Dionysius 202
Cicero 187
Jerome 178
John Damascene 168
Ambrose 151
Isidore of Seville 120
Roman Law 102
Gregory of Nyssa (actually Nemesius of Ephesus) 41
Macrobius 33
Boethius 30
Prosper of Aquitaine 19
Benedict 18
Basil 13
Plato 12
Hilary of Poiteiers 12
Bernard 9
Caesar 8
Ptolemy 1

These are based on Busa's concordance and lifted from Servais-Theodore Pinkaers, OP "The Sources of the Ethics of St. Thomas Aquinas" in The Ethics of Aquinas, Stephen J. Pope, ed. (Georgetown University Press: Washington DC, 2002), 17.

My doctoral classes this semester at the University of Dallas

Introduction to Phenomenology (Dr. William Frank)
Hobbes and Rousseau (Dr. Thomas West and Dr. Joshua Parens)
Ethical Texts of Thomas Aquinas Seminar (Fr. James Lehrberger, O. Cist.)

The Aquinas Lecture by Alain de Libera Tonight (Jan 28) at University of Dallas

What better way to celebrate the liturgical memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas than to attend the Aquinas Lecture at the University of Dallas with Alain de Libera from the University of Geneva?

Here are the details. See you there!

2008 Aquinas Lecture, "When did the 'Modern Subject' Emerge?"
by Alain de Libera, University of Geneva, Switzerland

January 28, 2008 - February 1, 2008
7:30 p.m.
Lynch Auditorium

Reception to follow in Gorman Faculty Lounge.

This is a public lecture that will also include a student discussion and three seminars:

Tuesday, January 29th, 5:00 p.m., Braniff 201
Wednesday, January 30th, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Gorman Faculty Lounge
Thursday, January 31st, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Gorman B
Friday, February 1st, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Gorman Faculty Lounge

Lecture Information:

This wide-ranging lecture deconstructs the historiographical myth that sees Descartes as the creator of the “modern subject.” It argues that subjectivity, understood as the idea of some “thing” that is both the owner of certain mental states and the agent of certain activities, is a medieval theological construct, developed in connection with such problems as that of the two wills in the incarnate Christ. The lecture will discuss Thomas Aquinas’s and Peter Olivi’s treatment of this problem as well as the principle invoked to resolve it. Against this background, the lecture analyzes “attributivism,” which has for a long time been the prevailing model of subjectivity and personhood in modern philosophy, and reappraises the Lockean and Leibnizian contributions to the history of the Self.

For more information, please phone the UD Philosophy Department at 972-721-5161.

Peggy Noonan summarizes the current state of "The Presidential Campaigns"

I like reading Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal. She always hits the nail on the head. If you want to read only one article that sums up everything going on in the Republican and Democratic parties, read Peggy's article here.

Review of Six of the World's Seven Trappist Ales

Last weekend I came together with some of my friends in Fort Worth for a Trappist Ale tasting. There are only seven Trappist monasteries that brew beer and we were able to acqure six of the labels, including the extremely rare and coveted Westvleteren. A special thanks to Christ Pate who was able to pull strings and get us the Westvleteren.

We could not locate the Achelse Kluis, so we did two Chimay's - Red and Blue. We took detailed notes on each ale.

Let's start with the food. We went with traditional meats and cheeses:

Black forest ham - similar to prosciutto
Copper Molinare - another cured meat
Love Dip from Central Market
Venison-Pork blend dried sausage
Chimay Cheese
Orange Cottswald Cheese
Dorothy Potato Chip Goat Cheese
Oanetik Osau Ships Milk Cheese
Crackers and Chips

Now for the Trappist Ales:

1. Chimay

• Chimay Red - fruitiness, coriander, citrus (7% alcohol)
• Chimay Blue - this was once the "Christmas ale" of the monastery. Dark, complex, peppery, medicinal, not much head (9% alcohol). This is my favorite Chimay.
• We didn't have the Chimay White (Cinq Cents) on hand - Chimay's version of the Belgian Tripel. I've had it before, though. It's light colored, dry and carries a citrus hop flavor and aroma. It's my least favorite of the three.

2. Orval - hops, bitter, hoppy aroma, medicinal, dark, cloudy, huge head

3. Konings Hoeven Triple - lots of head, fruity aroma with hints of banana, wheat-after taste, nice finish, very drinkable, one of the evening's favorite

4. Westmalle Triple - great head, light color, Granny Smith apple aroma (which I identify with non-flocked yeast), hoppy, hints of wheat, a great summer ale yet heavy to the end

5. Rochefort - thick head, dark-black, hints of licorice, citrus, floral, bean, nut, cocoa, smoke finish, carbonation is great and worth noting, tastes like a meal, even meaty -- this is a very complex ale. Strong on the malt and light on the hops. I could pour this on some Belgian waffles and have an amazing breakfast.

6. Westvleteren - this is the rarest and most celebrated Trappist ale. This ale is incredibly difficult to acquire and all the brethren were waiting for its unveiling. All agreed that Westvleteren was the best ale, though Konings Hoeven (#3 above) and Rochefort (#5 above) were also big hits. Westvleteren has a Champagne nose, not much head, yet balanced carbonation. Earthy tones, can taste the "Belgian candi" flavor as hints of toasted sugar (caramel?), nutmeg, coriander, chocolate after-taste. Big taste. Indescribable complexity. Mystical. A lot of prayer went into this one!

Since this post was published, I was able to drink the seventh and final Trappist ale: the Achel. Here's my review of it: Review of the Seventh Trappist Ale, Achel.

Read more about Trappist Ales.

Nominalism and the Church with Ockham, Luther, and Hobbes

William of Ockham was a philosophical nominalist. William of Ockham sought to undermine papal authority through his dealings with the Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV of Bavaria.

Martin Luther was a philosophical nominalist. Martin Luther sought to undermine papal authority by appealing to the princes of Germany.

Thomas Hobbes was a philosophical nominalist. Thomas Hobbes sought to undermine papal authority by placing ecclesial authority in the arms of the state (see Book IV of Leviathan for details).

Here’s the question that I have been pondering. Is this a coincidence or does nominalist thinking lead its adherents to shake off the shackles of ecclesial authority? Is this a historical accident or is there a true connection?

My suspicion is that nominalism creates an epistemology of angst. It drives one to sacrifice balance for an extreme position.

Whether it be Ockham’s razor, Luther’s faith alone, or Hobbes’ absolute statism; each nominalist “solution” rejects communal consensus. If one rejects communal consensus, then one cannot truly believe in ecclesial authority, because the church is necessarily common.

In fact, in one is not a realist, then one cannot believe in true participation in any metaphysical sense. And if there is no participation there is no such thing as “being in communion”. It’s all fractured.

I just got back from the March for Life in Washington D.C.

I'll start posting again soon. I just got back from the March for Life in Washington D.C. and didn't have computer access.

First Century Judaism Seminar in Dallas on Feb 2

If you like N. T. Wright, C. H. Dodd, redemptive historical theology, and typology, then join us for the First Century Judaism Seminar:

Return of the Prodigal Son - Archetype of Offering Eucharist

“My son was dead and is now alive.” (Luke 15:24)

The Prodigal Son and Ephraim’s Prototypical Act of Contrition

The Apostles’ Understanding of Luke 15 and Jeremiah 31

Presenter: Mark Drogin

Responder: Taylor Marshall

Moderator: Stephen Pimentel

When is it?
Saturday, February 2, 2008: 9 am to 4 pm

Where is it?
Gorman Lecture Hall, University of Dallas

What should I expect?
Four one-hour sessions, Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and a break for lunch.

How much is it?
Free.

How do I register?
Please register by email to droginmark@yahoo.com or phone 469-867-9650

Who is sponsoring this Seminar?
Remnant of Israel and St. Stephen the Martyr Chapter of Catholics United for the Faith. Visit www.firstcenturyjudaism.com and www.remnantofisrael.net.

Duns Scotus on Absolute and Ordained Power

Scotus taught that God can do and has done certain things according to laws that he has freely established. This is what he calls potentia ordinata (“ordained power”). potentia ordinata). Ordained power is to be distinguished from God’s potentia absoluta (“absolute power”) by which he can do anything that does not entail contradiction.

Scotus maintains this distinction in order to preserve the contingency of God’s acts, particular his act of creation. God’s absolute power is his general omnipotence. However, since God is not determined but exercises perfect freedom to act and love, so his individual acts must be the result of contingent decisions. This actual world is the result of the ordained power of God. The distinction between the ordained and absolute powers of God also prevents one from concluding that God’s absolute power is always actualized, which would mean that every possible world actually exists.

Barack Obama's Pro-Abortion Record

In 2003, Obama prevented the Born Alive Infants Protection Act (BAIPA) from even getting a hearing in the Senate. BAIPA stated that all live-born babies were guaranteed the same constitutional right to equal protection, whether or not they were wanted.

In 2001, Obama voted “present” on a bill to notify parents when their minor children seek an abortion.

He voted against a cloning ban in 2000, but voted for it in 2001.

In 1997, Obama twice voted “present” on an Illinois partial-birth abortion ban.

Barack Obama is an not a friend to the culture of life.

Ladies Storm Mount Athos

According to tradition, the Blessed Mother consecrated Mount Athos to the monks living there. Since this is our Lady's mount, all other females are not allowed on the mountain.

Some feminists recently tried to invade the mountain and invade the privacy of the monks in order to condemn the alleged injustice of a "men's only" mountain. Completely ridiculous and insensitive.

Read it all here from the Cafeteria is Closed.

Responding to Protestants concerning Worship

Kevin Johnson over at "Reformed Catholicism" recently critiqued Mark Shea concerning the Catholic doctrine of worship. Shea rightly describes worship as centered in sacrifice. Johnson contests this. Let's take a look.

For Mark Shea and other Catholics, worship is seen in the sacrifice of the Mass. But worship in the Bible did not always revolve around sacrifice. We learn in the very first part of Genesis that there was a time when men began to call upon the Lord (Gen. 4:26) but there is no indication that this is something that always involved sacrifice. In fact, Genesis 24:26 (and v. 48) shows us that men were able to worship God without any sort of sacrifice at all. One wonders, too, what the Jews did when there was no tabernacle or temple to bring the official sacrifices. In Nehemiah 8:6, it’s clear that the people were able to worship once again quite without a need to establish an official sacrifice in worshiping God.

Kevin's citation of Genesis 24:26 is unusual. It speaks of Abraham's servant "bowing his head and worshiping". However, the very next line describes the orientation of the servant's prayer toward "the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master." This "steadfast love" is based on the covenant that God established with Abraham, a covenant through sacrifice!

I can worship God, but I always worship Christ through the sacrifice of Christ - either actually, as in the Sacrifice of the Mass; or virtually, when I pray at any time "in the name of Jesus". In both cases, I only assume to approach the Father through of the precious blood of Christ. If one should assume to approach God without going through Christ our Passover, then he is committing idolatry. It is presumptuous.

For Mr. Shea, worship is a matter of “joining ourselves to the total self-offering Christ made to God on Calvary”.

Mr. Johnson, can we offer anything without joining our ourselves and our intercession with the self-offering of Christ? I find it odd that a Christian would deny this.

Christ died on the cross once for all and the sacrifice itself has no need of being “re-presented” or repeated. Still less does this perfect sacrifice need any effort on our part to fulfill its purpose in redeeming the saints.

Mr. Johnson reveals that he is more Reformed than Catholic. One should not lump "re-presented" with repeated. There is a big difference there and the Catholic Faith depends on that distinction. Also, the sacrifice of Christ does require that we continue to apply the sacrifice of Christ through word and sacraments. Even Calvin admits as much.

Our response to the work of Christ is one of gratitude, thankfulness, and service. If there is any sacrifice on our part at all, it is only in response to what has happened two thousand years ago as well as the salvation that is already ours by virtue of that once for all event (Hebrews 10:10).

Be careful Mr. Johnson. You're walking onto the Catholic's home-field advantage. The sacrifice of Christ is "once for all". Protestants love to stress the "once" and forget all about the "for all". For all what? The answer is "for all time". The Sacrifice of Christ is both temporal (it happened once) and eternal (for all time). It resonates in the divine economy. It's not a past event, but an anamnesis - the ever making present of this reality.

It is no accident then that the earliest Christian worship we have on record very much resembled the synagogue worship of our Jewish ancestors. In the synagogue, sacrifice too was absent but what the faithful did was hear from God and respond in thankfulness through prayer, the reading of the Word, and in song. Sacrifice has its place in worship but only in reference to the Sacrifice that was to come.

The earliest records of Christian worship (Justin Martyr and Hippolytus) describe the Sacrifice of the Masss. In the case of the latter, sacrifical language is used. Same goes for the Didache, which probably predates both.

Israel in Canaan and the Merneptah Stele

The Merneptah Stele (dated 1208 BC) mentions "Israel" by name as already dwelling in Canaan.

This means that Egyptians knew of the Israelites and that the Israelites had already migrated to Canaan.

What does "fullness of the Gentiles" mean in Romans 11?

This is one of the most confusing and debated passages of Scripture:

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel will be saved." Romans 11:25-26

Saint Paul put forth a "mystery". A "partial hardening" has happened to ethnic Israel until the "fullness of the Gentiles". At this point "all Israel" will be saved.

In other words, "Israel" plus "fullness of Gentiles" equals "all Israel". So what is the "fullness of the Gentiles"?

I think that Saint Paul is referring to Genesis 48:17-19:

When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; and he took his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father; for this one is the first-born; put your right hand upon his head."

But his father [Jacob/Israel] refused, and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

That final line could be translated as "fullness of the Gentiles". It foreshadows how Ephraim (synecdochical for the northern ten tribes) later "mixed itself" with the nations (Hosea 7:8).

Saint Paul indicates that the Israel/Ephraim's identity is "mixed" with the Gentiles. In fulfillment of the prophecy of Jacob, the sons of of Ephraim have become the "fullness of the Gentiles" though in a less than noble way. Quite remarkable. For Paul, the only way to restore the lost remnant of Israel is to restore the Gentiles with whom they have mixed. This would explain how the Gentiles have benefited by the received curses of Israel.

It would also explain why Christ told the Apostles to proclaim the Gospel first in Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, and then to the ends of the world. Samaria was the greatest concentration of "half-breed" northern Israelites. The evangelization of Samaria is the fulfillment of the restoration of "Israel" whether they be half-breeds or not. It is also noteworthy that both Peter and John specifically came to Samaria in order to impart the Holy Spirit via the sacrament of Confirmation (Acts 8:14-17).

Pope celebrating Holy Mass ad orientem

The Pope is turning the tables on everyone...literally.

In another significant liturgical turn at the very top, B16 will celebrate tomorrow's annual Sistine Chapel Mass for the Baptism of the Lord in the ad orientem stance -- that is, facing away from the congregation and toward the cross that stands at the chapel's back wall.

Read it all at Whispers.

Hat tip to Mark Adams for making me aware of this.

Duns Scotus on the Human Will (Affectio Commodi and Affectio Justitiae)

John Duns Scotus adopted a distinction made by Anselm: the will can operate in conformity to an affection for the advantageous (affectio commodi) or it can operate in conformity to an affection for justice (affection justitiae). When the will acts as an affectio commodi, it acts as a nature, as something moved by another. When a will acts as an affectio justitiae, it as acts truly as a will, as something self-moved.

The affectio commodi as a nature seeks its own fulfillment so that it is “no more an elicited act of the will than is the natural appetite in a stone.” The affectio commodi as a nature does not act freely. The affectio commodi seeks a kind of natural beatitude. It is incapable of attaining of loving something or something for its own sake. This affection for the advantageous requires a checkrein. The affectio justitiae restrains the affectio commodi and allows the will transcend nature and attain the supernatural. The affectio justitiae seeks the intrinsic good of something or someone in and of itself. The affection for justice allows the will to love God for himself and love one’s neighbor for himself. Charity or love is made possible by the innate presence of the affectio justitiae. Without this latter affection, the will would not be free and thus not truly capable of love.

Two Kinds of Catholic Mysticism

I was recently re-reading Steven Ozment’s fantastic book The Age of Reform 1250-1550 – An Intellectual and Religious History of Late Medieval and Reformation Europe (Yale, 1980).

Chapter Three contrasts two general forms of Catholic mysticism. Ozment identifies these two “schools” as Christocentric mysticism and Theocentric mysticism. I prefer the terms Incarnational mysticism and Ontological mysticism, respectively.

Christocentric or Incarnational mysticism focuses on the humanity of Christ and by extension the role of the Blessed Mother. Christ is particularly experienced in the “glory of his humility”. It embraces suffering, humility, poverty, and sacrifice. It should come at no surprise that this Incarnational mysticism rejoices in the infancy of Christ and his crucifixion. The Franciscans are the first to come to mind: St Francis, St Bonaventure, St Antony, and more recently St Pio. St. Bernard of Clairvaux is another ideal exemplar of this incarnational mysticism. The holy Rosary and the Stations of the Cross are devotional examples of this incarnational piety.

The other kind of mysticism is the Theocentric or Ontological mysticism. This is the sort of mysticism that seeks union with God through an apophatic method – the via negativa. The writings of Pseudo-Dionysius and the late medieval German mystics come to mind. This method is found in the writings of the Carmelites, many Dominicans, and the Eastern Fathers. In the East, it transformed into the hesychast method and necessitated a distinction between the divine essence and divine energies (a distinction thoroughly rejected in the West). While the Incarnational mysticism is volitional, the Ontological is intellectualist with a strong desire to experience the beatific vision. While certainly not opposed to the Incarnation of Christ, this Ontological mysticism has had a tendency to spin out of control (e.g. Meister Eckhart). The spiritual goal is to transcend all created realities and find mystical union with God. The Dionysian “three ways” of purification, illumination, and contemplation are common, as are the concepts of nada and the “dark night of the soul”. St. John of the Cross, St Teresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, and the author of the Cloud of Unknowing, stand out as examples.

It should go without saying that these two distinctions are somewhat artificial because they are typically combined by all the great mystics. It would be a grave mistake to conclude that St. John of the Cross was anti-incarnational or that St Bernard was not concerned with the Beatific Vision (after all, Dante imagines St. Bernard as his guide to the Beatific Vision).

Berkeley preacher speaks of the American Darfur (i.e. Abortion)

This is very interesting. I heard a speech by an African American leader last year at the March for Life saying basically the same thing:

Saying they are faced with a civil rights crisis that demands immediate attention, African American anti-abortion advocates will hold three events in the Bay Area later this month in an aggressive push to combat the high number of abortions among black women.

"The abortion issue is huge. It is the Darfur of America," and it's time to educate the public about it, said Walter Hoye, a Berkeley preacher who founded the Issues4Life Foundation, a recently formed Union City-based organization intent on drafting more African Americans into the fight against abortion.

Read the full article from SFGate.com

Is Huckabee Anti-Catholic?

Huckabee recently came out with some comments on his alleged "anti-Catholicism".

This Huckabee quote is golden: "In short, if I held any animosity toward Catholics, I don't think Justice Scalia would have ever taken me up on my invitations to go duck hunting."

This is also pretty good: "As I mentioned before, many of my top-level staff and closest advisers are Catholic, including my national campaign manager, national campaign director, my policy adviser and my campaign’s chief operating officer."

Hat tip to "jh" from the comments box.

Full story on Huckabee and "anti-Catholicism" from Catholic Online.

Senator Brownback endorses McCain

Senator Brownback endorses McCain.

Brownback is a senator from Kansas, a pro-life Catholic, and a former Evangelical.

Story from the New York Times.

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