Tuesday, January 05, 2010

The Theological Virtues Only Known to Us Through Scripture

We've previously seen Aquinas talking about the primacy and sufficiency of Scripture. In the following quotation, we see Aquinas stating that the theological virtues are only known via divine revelation found in scripture ("sola divina revelatione, in sacra Scriptura"):
Such like principles are called "theological virtues": first, because their object is God, inasmuch as they direct us aright to God: secondly, because they are infused in us by God alone: thirdly, because these virtues are not made known to us, save by Divine revelation, contained in Holy Writ.
Latin text:
Et huiusmodi principia virtutes dicuntur theologicae, tum quia habent Deum pro obiecto, inquantum per eas recte ordinamur in Deum; tum quia a solo Deo nobis infunduntur; tum quia sola divina revelatione, in sacra Scriptura, huiusmodi virtutes traduntur.
Citation: Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part of the Second Part, Question 62, Article 1 ([36103] Iª-IIae q. 62 a. 1 co. )

-TurretinFan

2 comments:

SP said...

TFan.

Maybe you posted elsewhere on this matter but I was hoping you would flesh out the previous Aquinas quote you provided in the thread below.

"Now the formal object of faith is the First Truth, as manifested in Holy Writ and the teaching of the Church, which proceeds from the First Truth. Consequently whoever does not adhere, as to an infallible and Divine rule, to the teaching of the Church, which proceeds from the First Truth manifested in Holy Writ, has not the habit of faith, but holds that which is of faith otherwise than by faith."

I note that Aquinas says that the object of faith comes from scripture and the teaching of the church.

Because in this thread you say, "We've previously seen Aquinas talking about the primacy and sufficiency of Scripture."

Where have you seen this?

Turretinfan said...

SP:

You can find discussion about that quotation in two posts via my newly-created "Aquinas Index" post (link). The two posts are the posts on the Primacy of Scripture and the Word of Clarification.

- TurretinFan