Speaking the Incomprehensible God: Thomas Aquinas on the Interplay of Positive and Negative Theology

440 Pages·2004·1.86 MB·English

by  Gregory P. Rocca

Speaking the IncomprehensibleGod

Gregory P. Rocca, O.P.
Speaking the Incomprehensible God
Thomas Aquinas on the Interplay of
Positive and Negative Theology
1
The Catholic University ofAmerica Press
Washington,D.C.
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The Catholic University ofAmerica Press
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The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
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Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rocca,Gregory P.,–
mSpeaking the incomprehensible God :Thomas Aquinas on the interplay of
mmmpositive and negative theology / Gregory P.Rocca.— st ed.
mmmp.mcm.
mmIncludes bibliographical references and indexes.
mm ---(alk.paper)
mm.Thomas,Aquinas,Saint,–.m.God—Knowableness—History of
mdoctrines—Middle Ages,–.m.Knowledge,Theory of(Religion)—
mHistory ofdoctrines—Middle Ages,–.m.Title.
m.
m'.'—dc 
To my parents
Aldo and Irena Rocca
1

Contents
Foreword xi
Preface xv
Abbreviations xxi
Part One.God the Incomprehensible and Negative Theology
.A BriefSurvey ofNegative Theology in the 
Hellenistic and Patristic Traditions
. Authors before Pseudo-Dionysius /
. Pseudo-Dionysius and John Damascene /
.God’s Dual Incomprehensibility in Aquinas 
. God as Supereminent Darkness /
. Our Nonquidditative Knowledge ofGod /
.No Intellect Sees God by Its Natural Powers /
.The Graced Vision ofGod’s Essence /
.Finite Intellectual Creatures and God’s Infinity /
. Our Noncomprehensive Knowledge ofGod /
. Conclusion /
.Aquinas’Via Negativa 
. The Threefold Way to God /
. The Via Negativa/
viii Contents
.Three Types ofNegative Theology /
.Growth and Progress ofNegative Theology /
.Negation and Preeminence /
. The Way ofPreeminence /
. Conclusion /
Part Two.Analogy and the Web ofJudgment
.Analogy in Aristotle 
.The Various Meanings ofAnalogy in Aquinas 
. Critique ofAnalogy /
. Analogy as Proportion and Proportionality /
. Analogy as Referential Multivocity /
. Analogy ofAttribution,Proper Proportionality,and
Cajetan’s Interpretation /
. The Primacy ofAnalogy as Referential Multivocity /
. The Logical Status ofMultivocal Analogy /
.The Unity and Diversity ofAnalogy as a Web ofPredication 
. Primary and Secondary Meanings /
. Reference to an Individual Reality or Nature /
. God and Creatures /
. The Analogical Community /
. Analogy’s “Common Meaning”and “Different Meanings”/
.Analogy as Judgment in Aquinas 
. Judgment and Truth /
. Judgment and Concept /
. Analogy as Judgment /
.Theological Analogy as the Mean between Univocity and Equivocity /
.The Place ofTheological Analogy in Aquinas’Treatise on God /
. The Graced Judgment ofFaith /
. Conclusion /
Contents ix
Part Three.Crucial Truths about God
.Aquinas and the Existence ofGod the Creator 
. Aquinas’View ofAristotle’s First Principles /
.The Unmoved Mover ofAristotle’s Physics/
.The Primary Substance ofAristotle’s Metaphysics/
. The Richness ofGod’s Existence in Aquinas’Theology /
. Aquinas and the Philosophers on God the Creator /
. Creation and Creator /
. The World’s Eternity /
. God the Creator Philosophically Interpreted as Subsistent Being /
. The Radical Contingence ofCreatures Philosophically
Interpreted as the Real Distinction between Being and Essence /
.Conclusion /
.Aquinas’Crucial Theological Truths 
. God Is the Infinite,Pure,and Perfect Act ofSubsistent Being /
.A Perfect God /
.An Infinite God /
. God Is the Creator and Conserver ofthe Universe /
.A Transcendent Creator /
.An Immanent Creator /
.A God Who Freely Creates from Nothing /
. Creation Is a Likeness to God /
.Creatures Are Both Like and Unlike God /
.God’s Essence and God’s Ideas /
.Vestige,Image,Similarity /
. Participation:Aquinas’Christian View ofthe Universe /
. Truth and Epistemology /
Part Four.The Divine Names
.Aquinas’Positive Theology ofthe Divine Names 
. Divine Names /
.Theory ofNames /
.On Naming God /