I continue my series on Thomas Aquinas’s Five Ways for the existence of God by discussing the fourth way. The fourth way is an argument from the grades of perfection in created things. In this sense, the fourth way is perhaps the most philosophical of Aquinas’s five ways. Because of this, it is often considered the most difficult to comprehend. I will begin by introducing the argument before providing the actual proof as framed by Aquinas. Finally, I will... Read more
In continuing my series on Thomas Aquinas’s Five Ways for the existence of God, I now turn to Aquinas’s third way. This particular argument is a type of cosmological argument in that it is based on the contingency and necessity of the universe. I will begin by introducing Aquinas’s third way. I will then provide the argument itself and provide an analysis of the third way. Lastly, I will discuss whether Aquinas is justified in his conclusion that God must... Read more
In my previous article, I began a series on Thomas Aquinas’s five ways or arguments for the existence of God. Aquinas’s first way is an argument from motion or change. Things move from potency to act; for example, a seed exists potentially as a tree, and a tree exists in act in relation to the seed. We saw that such a chain could not proceed on infinitely. Aquinas argues that an infinite regress of change would eliminate a first cause... Read more
As both a saint and a doctor of the Church, Thomas Aquinas is arguably the most significant figure in Catholic theology. No less significant are Aquinas’s contributions to philosophy and science. Aquinas’s opus is the Summa Theologica (Summary of Theology). It is a compendium of Catholic theology and philosophy. While the Summa contains several arguments for the existence of God, the most enduring of these are the quinque viae or five ways. The five ways are logical arguments, and, as... Read more
“Three basic questions may be asked of any text: What does it say? What does it mean? How does it impact me?” – Edward L. Hayes. The Bible is not a book. Rather, the Bible is a library containing seventy-three books. Like any library, the books of the Bible are written by several authors writing at different times and for various reasons. In addition, the Bible contains many different genres of literature, such as history, prophecy, and poetry. All of... Read more
“I have no faith in human perfectibility. I think that human exertion will have no appreciable effect upon humanity. Man is now only more active – not more happy – nor more wise, than he was 6000 years ago.” – Edgar Allan Poe Perhaps one of the most intriguing and challenging sayings of Christ is His commandment to be perfect. (Matthew 5:48). As Catholics, we are to follow Christ, but is it possible for human beings to be perfect? This... Read more
“For those whom He foreknew, He [God] also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” – Romans 8:29-30 Predestination refers to the belief that God directs human beings to their supernatural end, either salvation or damnation. That is to say, God has already decided who will be saved and who will be damned. Predestination, therefore, presents a theological dilemma. How does theology in general and Catholicism,... Read more
Are Catholics bound to the precepts of the Old Testament, or does the New Testament do away with the old? Moreover, why does it appear that Catholicism selectively adheres to portions of the Old Testament while ignoring others? In the following exposition, I will identify three precepts of the Torah that make up the structure of the old law. I will then seek to show that through Christ, Catholics adhere to the Mosaic law. The Torah The Mosiac law is... Read more
“All the laws of heaven and earth are unable to prevent man from his crimes. Surely relaxing the laws of heaven and earth shall not dispose man to better behavior.” – Doctor Samuel Johnson. The question of morality is one of significant import to philosophy and theology. Specifically, where do our ideas of right and wrong come from? Are these ideas innate and thus part of human nature, or are they social constructs of our creation? In this work, I... Read more
Anyone familiar with the Bible is acquainted with the depictions of violence and slavery. Too often, critics of religion cite these unsavory acts as evidence that religion is dangerous, and if God exists, He is violent. This paper intends to discuss these difficult passages, particularly as they appear in the Old Testament. I will also place such violence in the broader context of the ancient world. Lastly, I will show the link between violence and justice and the need for... Read more
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