On Love and Charity: Readings from the "Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard" (St Thomas Aquinas in Translation)

Duhem quotes > Sancti Thomæ Aquinatis *Scriptum super primum librum Sententiarum* , Lib. I, Dist. XVII, pars II, quæst. II: Utrum charitas augeatur per additionem? [[ *Super Sent.* , lib. 1 d. 17 q. 2 a. 2 co.](http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/snp1009.html#1367)] in his [*Études sur Léonard de Vinci* vol. 3](https://isidore.co/calibre/#panel=book_details&book_id=4251) pp. 337-8 (PDF pp. 245-6), which appears on pp. 39-40 ( **PDF pp. 72-3** ) of this translation. **PDF pp. 105-7** (pp. 72-74) is the same question from St. Thomas's *Lectura romana* , a new commentary he made in Rome (1265-66), after his Paris one (1252-6). The [*Lectura romana*](http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/snr.html) was recently discovered in the 1970s and published in 2006. "Webnotes" begin on **PDF p. 441**. From [Bonin's Aquinas in English bibliography](https://aquinas-in-english.neocities.org/#sent): > All texts on love and charity from the *Commentary on the Sentences* —book 1, distinction 17 in both the Parisian and Roman versions [the [*Lectura Romana*](http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/snr.html)]; book 3, distinctions 27 to 32; and selected articles from all four books—accompanied by textual and interpretive notes St. Thomas (surprisingly) says, on pp. 75-77 ( **PDF pp. 108-10** ), that charity does not admit of decrease (even by venial sins, which he compares to charity as points taken from a line), but that it can only be completely taken away (by mortal sin): > Est autem comparatio peccatorum venialium ad caritatem sicut si auferantur puncta a linea: sicut enim ex quibuslibet punctis adiunctis non fit linea neque crescit, ita ex quibuslibet sublatis non diminuitur; et similiter nec quaecumque venialia diminuunt caritatem. Thus, there is indeed a minimum degree of charity ("Utrum caritas minuatur" [*Lectura Romana* , d. 17 q. 2 a. 4](http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/snr.html#100908)). His corresponding, older version: [*Super Sent.* , lib. 1 d. 17 q. 2 a. 5](http://www.corpusthomisticum.org/snp1009.html#1394) (pp. 51-57 or **PDF pp. 84-90** ) cf. also: [*S.T.* II-II q. 24 a. 10](https://isidore.co/aquinas/summa/SS/SS024.html#SSQ24A10THEP1) & *De Malo* q. 7 a. 2 cf. p. 236 or **PDF p. 270** fn. b of the question of whether all are bound to perfect charity PDF pp. 241-4 is on "Whether the order of charity is to be looked to regarding affection or effect", parallel passage: [ST II-II, q. 26, a. 6 ("Whether we ought to love one neighbor more than another?")](https://isidore.co/aquinas/summa/SS/SS026.html#SSQ26A6THEP1) Among The Great Works Of Thomas Aquinas, The Commentary On The Sentences Of Peter Lombard Has Suffered Almost Total Neglect Among Translators. Such Neglect Is Surprising, When One Considers That The Massive Commentary - More Than 4,000 Pages In The Last Printed Edition - Is Not Only Aquinas's First Systematic Engagement With All The Philosophical And Theological Topics On Which He Expended His Energy Over The Span Of A Short Career But Is Also Characterized By An Exuberance And Elaborateness Seldom Found In His Subsequent Writings. Although M.-d. Chenu Had Already Drawn Attention Decades Ago To The Importance Of Studying This Youthful Tour De Force For A Fuller Understanding Of Thomas's Later Work, The Commentary On The Sentences Has Remained A Closed Book For Many Modern Students Of Thomistic And Medieval Thought Because Of Its Relative Inaccessibility In English Or In Latin. The Present Volume, Containing All The Major Texts On Love And Charity, Makes Available What Is By Far The Most Extensive Translation Ever To Be Made From The Commentary With The Added Benefit That The Better Part Of The Translation Is Based On The (as Yet Unpublished) Critical Edition Of The Leonine Commission. The Collection Of Texts From All Four Books Has A Tight Thematic Coherence That Makes It Invaluable To Students Of Thomas's Moral Philosophy, Moral Theology, And Philosophical Theology. In Addition, The Inclusion Of Both Of The Author's Commentaries On Distinction 17 Of Book 1, The Original (parisian) Version And The Second (roman) Version From The Recently Rediscovered Lectura Romana, Makes This Edition All The More Valuable For Those Who Wish To Track The Internal Development Of Thomas's Thinking.--jacket. In I Sententiarum. Distinction 1 [in Part] ; Distinction 17 (paris Version, 1252-1256) ; Distinction 17 (lectura Romana, 1265-1266) -- In Ii Sententiarum. Distinction 3 [in Part] ; Distinction 38 [in Part] -- In Iii Sententiarum. Distinction 23 [in Part] ; Distinction 27 : Love And Charity In Themselves ; Distinction 28 : Objects Of Charity ; Distinction 29 : The Order Of Charity ; Distinction 30 : Love Of Enemies; Merit ; Distinction 31 : Charity's Duration ; Distinction 32 : God's Love For Creatures ; Distinction 36 [in Part] -- In Iv Sententiarum. Distinction 49 [in Part]. Thomas Aquinas ; Translated By Peter A. Kwasniewski, Thomas Bolin, And Joseph Bolin ; With Introduction And Notes By Peter A. Kwasniewski. Translated From The Latin. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Among the great works of Thomas Aquinas, the Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard has suffered almost total neglect among translators. Such neglect is surprising, considering that the massive Commentarymore than 4,000 pages in the last printed editionis not only Aquinass first systematic engagement with all the philosophical and theological topics on which he expended his energy over the span of a short career but is also characterized by an exuberance and elaborateness seldom found in his subsequent writings. Although Chenu had already drawn attention decades ago to the importance of studying this youthful tour de force for a fuller understanding of Thomass more mature work, the Commentary on the Sentences has remained a closed book for many modern students of Thomistic and medieval thought because of its relative inaccessibility in English or in Latin. Offers a translation from the Commentary. This book is useful for students of Thomas' moral philosophy, moral theology, and philosophical theology. It includes texts from Aquinas' first (Parisian) Commentary as well as from his second (Roman) attempt at a commentary.