Commentary on Thomas Aquinas's Treatise on Divine Law

525 Pages·2021·4.265 MB·English

by  J. Budziszewski

Commentary on Thomas Aquinas’s Treatise on Divine Law
ThomasAquinas’sclassicTreatiseonDivineLawisbroughttolifeinthis
illuminating line-by-line commentary, which acts as a sequel to
Budziszewski’sCommentaryonThomasAquinas’sTreatise onLaw. In
this new work, Budziszewski reinvestigates the theory of divine law in
Aquinas’sSummaTheologiae,exploringquestionsconcerningfaithand
reason, natural law and revelation, the organization of human society,
andtheultimatedestinyofhumanlife.Thisinterdisciplinarytextincludes
thoroughexplanations,applicationstolife,andancillarydiscussionsthat
openupAquinas’sdensebodyofwork,whichtendstodemandagreat
deal from readers. More than a half-century has passed since the last
commentary on Thomas Aquinas’s view of these matters. Budziszewski
fills this gap with his consideration of not only the medieval text under
examination,butalsoitsimmediaterelevancetocontemporarythought
andissuesofthemodernworld.
J. Budziszewski is Professor in the Departments of Government and
Philosophy,UniversityofTexasatAustin.Especiallyknownforbooks
on classical natural law and commentaries on Thomas Aquinas, he is
alsokeenlyinterestedinvirtueethics,conscience,self-deception,family
and sexuality, religion in public life, toleration, and the unravelling of
ourcommonculture.

’
Commentary on Thomas Aquinas s
Treatise on Divine Law
J. BUDZISZEWSKI
UniversityofTexasatAustin
Ante Studium (Before Study)
Ineffable Creator, Who out of the treasures of Your wisdom appointed treble
hierarchiesofAngelsandsetthem inadmirableorderhighabovetheheavens;
Who disposed the diverse portions of the universe in such elegant array; Who
are the true Fountain of Light and Wisdom, and the all-exceeding Source: Be
pleased to cast a beam of Your radiance upon the darkness of my mind, and
dispel from me the double darkness of sin and ignorance in which I have
been born.
You Who make eloquent the tongues of little children, instruct my tongue
andpouruponmylipsthegraceofYourbenediction.Grantmepenetrationto
understand, capacity to retain, method and ease in learning, subtlety in inter-
pretation, and copious grace of expression.
Order the beginning, direct the progress, and perfect the conclusion of my
work, You Who are true Godand Man, Wholive and reign forever and ever.
Amen.
Thomas Aquinas

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To those, now in glory,
who patiently spoke to me of God
when I was not listening

Analytical Table of Contents
Allselections are from the Prima Secundae(FirstPartof the Second Part)
of the Summa Theologiae; St. Thomas’s titles forthe sections
are paraphrased.
Outline of theSumma on the Topic of DivineLaw page xvii
The Decalogue xxi
The Two Great Commandments xxiii
Architectureof Law in General xxv
Detailed Architectureof Divine Law xxvii
Preface: On Discovering ThomasAquinas xxix
Commentator’sIntroduction xxxiii
I PRELIMINARYCONSIDERATIONS
The Types of Law (Question 91) 1
Wasa Divine Law Needed? (Article 4) 3
Is the Divine law a distinct kind of law, alongside what St. Thomas
callstheeternal,natural, and human laws,or isit merelya rehashing
or recapitulation ofone of the other kinds of law? Does it provide
anything thatthe other kinds don’t?
Text,Paraphrase,andCommentary 3
Discussion:TheRelationbetweenNaturalandDivineLaw 19
Does Divine Law Comein One Edition orin Two,Old and New?
(Article 5) 22
Accordingtothetradition,thereismorethanoneDivinelaw,forthere
is the law oftheOld Testament, called theOld Law, given to the
ix