God the Father in the Theology of St. Thomas Aquinas (American University Studies)

God the Father in the Theology of St. Thomas Aquinas is an exposition of Aquinas’ theology of God the Father as a coherent whole. Surprising as it might be, there has not been an extended treatment of Aquinas’ theology of God the Father. Three misconceptions are addressed: (1) the idea that Aquinas’ speculative Trinitarian theology is detached from Scripture; (2) the supposition that in Aquinas’ understanding, the Father’s relation to the Holy Spirit is an afterthought to the Father’s relation to the Son; and (3) the view that for Thomas, the Father has no proper mode of action in the created universe – since Thomas maintains that in all ad extra activity, the Trinity acts as a single principle. Two less polemical, more perennial issues are discussed as well. First, the concept of relation, as the key to a coherent account of three distinct persons in one same divine essence, emerges as an important theme in Aquinas’ exposition of the Father’s paternity and innascibility. Second, Aquinas understands the Father as the source of unity in the Trinity and as the beginning and end of the whole created universe. It becomes clear that St. Thomas places forceful emphasis on the Son’s equality to the Father and on the radical difference between the creator and the creature. Introduction. Subject ; Theological Interest ; Current Research ; Scope ; Method ; Organization -- Preliminary Note : Basic Terminology. Basic Terms; Procession And Relation; Notion And Property; Person As A Subsistent Relation; Hypostasis And Supposit ; Modes Of Signifying; Concrete And Abstract Terms; Formal And Operational Terms ; Unity And Plurality : Avoiding The Ancient Heresies -- The Revelation Of The Father. The Father Is Revealed By The Son; Initial Considerations; The Son's Revelation Of The Father: Christ's Deeds And Very Person: Christ As Word, Image, And Consubstantial Son; The Only Son Has Made Known The Invisible God; The Example Of Lazarus; Jesus Comes From And Returns To The Father ; The Father Is Revealed By The Holy Spirit; The Holy Spirit's Manner Of Revealing The Father; The Holy Spirit Does The Work Of The Father; Jn 14:26 : The Holy Spirit Will Teach You All Things; The Holy Spirit Speaks In Another's Name ; Conclusion -- The Innascible Father. The Father Is The Principle Not From A Principle; I Sent., D. 28, Q. 1, A. 1 And St I, Q. 33, A. 4; The Principle Not From A Principle; First Person; Emphasis On The Son In The Summa Theologiae ; Innascibility And Paternity; The Order Among The Father's Notions: Innascibility And Paternity Are Not Mutually Opposed: A Negation Suffices As A Notion; Innascibility Is Not A Personal Property; Innascibility Remains Distinct From Paternity; Unbegotten Must Be A Negation; Bonaventure On Innascibility's Positive Character ; Innascibility Is Not A Privation ; Innascibility Reduces To Relation; Innascibility And The Genus Of Relation; Innascibility According To Substance And To Relation; Bonaventure On The Innascible Divine Nature; When Paternity Is Mentally Abstracted; Bonaventure On The Abstraction Of Paternity ; There Is Only One Innascible In God; I Sent., D. 31. Exp. Text. And St I, Q. 33, A. 4, Ad 4; Argument From Relative Opposition; All Things Are One On Account Of The Father; The Impossibility Of Two Unbegottens; The Dignity Of The Unbegotten ; Unbegotten Is A Fitting Name; I Sent., D. 28, Q. 1, A. 1, Ad 4 And St I, Q. 33, A. 4, Ad 5; Procession Is Not A Special Name ; Innascible Fatherhood Is Not Communicated; Innascibility As Incommunicable And Non-personal; The Father Is Not Sent ; Innascibility Determines Paternity; Innascibility As A Condition Of Generation; The Father Is Distinct By His Innascibility ; Conclusion -- Father Principle. The Father Is A Principle; The Father Is Not A Cause In The Trinity; The Father Is The Principle Of The Whole Godhead; Principle Establishes Order But Not Hierarchy ; Author And Authority; Author Among The Divine Persons: Author With Respect To The Economy; Authority Among The Divine Persons: Authority With Respect To The Economy ; Principle And The Person Of The Father; The Unity Of The Father And The Son; Origin, Relation, And Person: Aquinas Versus Bonaventure On Origin And Relation : Bonaventure : Origin Constitutes The Hypostasis : Aquinas : Relation Constitutes The Hypostasis: Relation As Person Versus As Founded On Notional Action: The Constitution Of The Father's Hypostasis : Bonaventure On The Father's Hypostasis : Aquinas On The Father's Hypostasis: When Paternity Is Abstracted, No Hypostasis Remains ; Conclusion -- The Name Father. A Person's Name Identifies Him Uniquely ; Relation Signifies The Person ; Father Is The Most Proper Name For This Person ; Father Is Properly Attributed; Proper Attribution; Analogy; Metaphor ; The Father Is The Prime Analogate Of Paternity; Perfect Paternity; The Son's Generation And The Word's Procession: The Son's Birth Viewed As The Procession Of The Word : Various Metaphors For Divine Generation : The Word Analogy : The Word Analogy Applied To Divine Generation: The Generation Of The Son : The Definition Of Generation : Concomitant Will And Communicating Generation, The Father's Concomitant Will In Generation, Communication Of The Power To Generate -- Evolution In Aquinas' View Of Notional Power -- Bonaventure On Notional Action -- The Power To Beget Is Principally Essential ; Conclusion -- Father Spirator. Overview Of The Theological Issues ; The Relation Of Common Spiration; Spiration As Common; Common Spiration As A Non-personal Relation: No Subordination Of Common Spiration: The Conceptual Pride Of Place Of Personal Properties : Paternity : Unity In Common Spiration: Our Limited Way Of Knowing ; The Holy Spirit's Procession; The Spirit Proceeds Principally From The Father; The Father And The Son Are A Single Principle; The Holy Spirit Proceeds From The Father As Love; The Holy Spirit Is The Bond Of Mutual Love: The Holy Spirit As Mutual Love: Mutual Love As The Bond Of Love: Diverse Opinions On Mutual Love And The Bond Of Love: The Father Receives Nothing From Anyone: The Unity Of The Father And Son In Essence And Love ; The Father Loves By The Holy Spirit; By The Holy Spirit Taken As A Formal Effect; The Procession Of The Spirit As A Sign Or Effect: A Sign That The Father Has Given All Things To The Son: A Sign Of Perfect Love Between The Father And The Son ; Conclusion -- The Father In The Economy. The Whole Trinity As The Father Of Creatures; The Father Of The Son And The Father Of Sons; The Dignity Of Rational Creatures In Grace ; The Person Of The Father In Relation To Creatures; The Father's Proper Mode Of Action In Creation; The Father's Proper Mode Of Action In Redemption: The Father As Unoriginate Origin: The Father As Final End: Our Sharing In The Divine Persons' Proper Relations: The Father's Innascible Character In The Economy : The Father Who Is Not Sent : The Father Who Appears In The Economy : The Father To Whom We Pray, Through The Son ; Conclusion ; General Conclusion; Review; Synthesis -- Bibliography. Works Of St. Thomas Aquinas (latin Editions) ; Works Of St. Thomas Aquinas (english Translations) ; Ancient And Medieval Authors ; Modern Authors -- General Index. John Baptist Ku. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. An exposition of Aquinas' theology of God the Father as a coherent whole. Surprising as it might be, there has not been an extended treatment of Aquinas' theology of God the Father. This book becomes clear that St Thomas places forceful emphasis on the Son's equality to the Father and on the radical difference between the creator and the creature.