“But the implications of enthusiasm [religious extremism] go deeper than this; at the root of it lies a different theology of grace. Our traditional doctrine is that grace perfects nature, elevates it to higher pitch, so that it can bear its part in the music of eternity, but leaves it nature still. The assumption of the enthusiast is bolder and simpler; for him, grace has destroyed nature and replaced it.”
[Ronald A. Knox, *Enthusiasm: A Chapter in the History of Religion, 1950, Chapter 1]
“The existence of God and other like truths about God, which can be known by natural reason, are not articles of faith, but are preambles to the articles; for faith presupposes natural knowledge, even as grace presupposes nature, and perfection supposes something that can be perfected. Nevertheless, there is nothing to prevent a man, who cannot grasp a proof, accepting, as a matter of faith, something which in itself is capable of being scientifically [philosophically] known and demonstrated.”
[St. Thomas Aquinas, *Summa Theologiae, I, 2, 2, ad 1]
So sorry for negative feelings. Heavenly contemplation is the golden key that trumps intellectualism. Again, not meant to offend in the least, but trying to provide my experiences with each. What specifically did I say that led to to say ‘grace builds on nature?’
Well, it’s the context and the loaded term.
The forum is devoted to the “Discussion of philosophy, with an emphasis on Catholic contributions” in a Church which in every document I can think of praises philosophy as the passionate pursuit of the highest and most fundamental truths accessible to the natural light of reason. She never once calls it “intellectualism.” To enter the forum and essentially say that philosophy stands in the way of conversion and call it “intellectualism” rather than speak about it as the church does as the quest for truth is like someone entering a conversation about the power and beauty of human sexual intimacy and at every turn speaking about the vile sins of the flesh. It makes you wonder where the comments are coming from.
Given that philosophy isn’t just intellectualism, at least for those with a knack for it, but instead, as Thomas reminds us in the
Summa, a natural passionate quest and part of natural human foundation that grace builds upon, I thought a reminder of the maxim that grace builds on nature was in order.
We all know, as St. Gregory Palamas says, that philosophy cannot save. And as Aquinas reminds us, revealed theology is of a higher order than philosophical theology.
But philosophy as the passionate pursuit of wisdom (not intellectualism), is not in a contest with theology or the spiritual life. When one is theologizing one uses the results of philosophy. And when a Catholic is philosophizing according to the rigor of its own natural method they do so as a man or woman of faith. Perhaps a good reading of JPII,
Fides et Ratio would help. Not everyone is called to be a professional theologian; some are called as devout Catholics to philosophy. One does not trump the other.
Absolutely, but always try and reach for the better portion.
It’s not either-or. What would make a Catholic even think that?
If I were a Carmelite friar or a Carthusian monk I would have to watch that the philosophical search did not interfere with the stages of contemplative prayer that I was being drawn through into transforming union, if God so willed it.
As that is not the case I live by the Dominican maxim exemplified by Thomas even in his numerous philosophical endeavors,
contemplata aliis tradere.
Incontrovertible! If the intellectual defence of Christianity is worthless St Irenaeus - amongst others - shouldn’t have been canonised for establishing the foundations of Catholic theology and refuting the errors of the Gnostics who were leading many of the faithful astray.