The dumb ox still bellows
"We call him the dumb ox, but in his teaching he will one day produce such a bellowing that it will be heard throughout the world." -- Albertus Magnus's prescient description of his student, Thomas Aquinas. Seven hundred years after Thomas's death, we're still talking about his ideas. This week's In Our Time considers Thomas's theology and its influence on both the Catholic church and western philosophy.
Here are the top 15 quotations from Thomas Aquinas, courtesy of :
1. A man has free choice to the extent that he is rational.
2. All the efforts of the human mind cannot exhaust the essence of a single fly.
3. Because philosophy arises from awe, a philosopher is bound in his way to be a lover of myths and poetic fables. Poets and philosophers are alike in being big with wonder.
4. Better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate.
5. By nature all men are equal in liberty, but not in other endowments.
6. Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand.
7. How can we live in harmony? First we need to know we are all madly in love with the same God.
8. How is it they live in such harmony the billions of stars - when most men can barely go a minute without declaring war in their minds about someone they know.
9. It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes.
10. Love takes up where knowledge leaves off.
11. That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell.
12. The things that we love tell us what we are.
13. Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do.
14. To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.
15. Wonder is the desire for knowledge.
Comment number 1.
At 23rd Sep 2009, petermorrow wrote:Now, how much of this am I likely to get away with?
Surely it is plain to all that Aquinas was a twit? How could he have been other, with 15 gloopy comments like these? And surely anyone who thinks not has obviously had a lobotomy. I mean, "love takes up where knowledge leaves off", what in tarnation is that brainwarp supposed to mean?
:-)
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Comment number 2.
At 24th Sep 2009, Parrhasios wrote:Aw Peter - that was the one I really rather liked! (I suspect you may not be surprised).
Louis de Bernieres throws an interesting light on Aquinas in The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman.
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Comment number 3.
At 24th Sep 2009, petermorrow wrote:Parrhasios
Actually, I rather liked it too. I'm just getting a little dig in at the literalists on here (the atheist ones I mean), that and a spill over from the St. Paul thread!
The interesting thing about love and knowledge is that sometimes it's more difficult to love when one possesses knowledge, don't you think?
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Comment number 4.
At 24th Sep 2009, Ian Hall wrote:For anyone interested in medieval theology this episode is a good introduction to one of its giants.
A dumb ox as he was famously known? Hardly, his Summa Theologica remains a standard text for students of historical theology. And remember his influence doesn't end with the Roman Church,(the Council of Trent is largely Aquinas theology). In the field of Apologetics Thomism has been advanced by leading Protestants such as popular author and speaker RC Sproul.
The dumb ox still bellows.
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Comment number 5.
At 24th Sep 2009, gveale wrote:Yep, a big influence on evangelicals. Norman Geisler popularised his ideas. And the "Presuppositionalism" that came out of Westminster was an effort *not* to be Thomistic.
"Written on the Heart" by J Budzisewki was one of Christianity Today's books of the year a while back. That injected a shot of Thomistic Natural Law into evangelicalism. And of course the influence of CS Lewis on evangelicalism shouldn't be overlooked - especially "The Abolition of Man".
GV
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Comment number 6.
At 24th Sep 2009, mccamley wrote:Why was St Thomas Aquinas good at making chips?
Cos he's a deep fat friar.
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Comment number 7.
At 24th Sep 2009, Will_Crawley wrote:Also -- to add to your claims of Thomas's influence on Protestant thinkers -- when I asked the theologian David Fergusson which book of theology he would recommend for Richard Dawkins to read, he suggested an anthology of Thomas Aquinas's writings.
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Comment number 8.
At 24th Sep 2009, Bernards_Insight wrote:Peter
"love takes up where knowledge leaves off", what in tarnation is that brainwarp supposed to mean?"
I actually find that to be the most insightful quotation of all.
It relates to a continuity between knowledge and practical ethics. All the knowledge in the world is merely a prelude to "taking an attitude towards..."
And of course, the supreme "attitude to take towards..." is love.
Lonergan has a lot to say love as a further level of knowing. Theory blossoms into practice when one takes an attitude towards the objects of knowledge.
Good list, William
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Comment number 9.
At 24th Sep 2009, Heliopolitan wrote:Peter, I actually rather like Fatboy Tom - some of us view our atheism as a logical continuation of the Reformation, and Aquinas was undoubtedly of great influence towards that. Of course some of his remarks do earn the "twit" label - #7 and #11 are particularly dim; #14 is frankly absurd, and #13 makes me think he was well on his way to becoming an atheist. Pity he never knew about evolution.
Don't want to disappoint ;-)
-H
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Comment number 10.
At 24th Sep 2009, gveale wrote:"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible."
Hey that's in "The Song of Bernadette." I never knew its source until now.
They don't make 'em like that anymore.
GV
PS: She never actually sings. Not a solo, anyhow.
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Comment number 11.
At 24th Sep 2009, gveale wrote:"How is it they live in such harmony the billions of stars - when most men can barely go a minute without declaring war in their minds about someone they know."
Yup, dem medievals lived in a pokey little universe alright.
Actually, following Augustine and Boethius, many thought it was infinite.
GV
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Comment number 12.
At 24th Sep 2009, petermorrow wrote:Bernard
I appear to have created a little confusion with my post #1. I was pretending to be Helio!
I do agree with your comments, of course.
I have to say tho', I agree with H too, at least regarding the #11 remark. It really does bother me when Christians 'descend' into hell theology, particularly when they are so certain others are going there.
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