Thomism vs. Augustinianism

[Colorad007]

Much has been evidently made of Pope Benedict’s Augustinian emphasis, which contrasts with Blessed John Paul II’s more Thomistic emphasis. What are the essential differences between the two? It seems that St. Augustine was far more bleak about the eternal state of most of mankind, while, perhaps, St. Thomas was a little more “optimistic,” though that word, too, doesn’t quite get at it.

 

[Trevor_Stamm]

Have any reads on what you’re speaking of?

Only contrast between the two I have noticed so far is their epistemology. Aquinas believed acquiring knowledge is through sensory (name removed by moderator)ut to rationality, falling in line with his Aristotelian philosophy. While Augustine, being a staunched Platonist, believed knowledge was acquired through the mind alone in ideas.

 

[Colorad007]

Any additional thoughts?

 

[CHRISTINE77]

Aquinas was writing his Summa during the high Middle Ages, Augustine in the late 300’s during the fall of Rome.

Aquinas was using some of Aristotles ideas to prove his points/Augustine was using some of Plato’s ideas.

Aquinas was linking faith with reason, he believed that man had a mixture of reason and free will. Augustine was much more fatalist, and believed in predestination.

Augustine was much more concerned with the end times, and the theocracy of a City of God, which makes sense since it was during the fall of Rome and he was still dealing with pagans.

Aquinas was more concerned about proving the existence of God using reason and faith. When he was alive all of Europe was Catholic. He was a precursor in the days of scientific reasoning and the Renaissance.

Both of them believed that God was the Alpha and th Omega, and that man was created in God’s image, and that man’s last end and greatest good is God.

 

[Charlemagne_II]

Augustine’s writing style is more personal and readable than that of Aquinas. Yes, sometimes maddeningly subtle.

But Aquinas’ writing style is more analytic and scholarly.

Reading Augustine is like swimming in rough waters.

Reading Aquinas is like scaling steep mountain sides.

Aquinas had the advantage of nearly an extra thousand years of Christian scholarship to draw upon. He could draw upon Augustine too, but who was Augustine going to draw upon for theological inspiration with the same kind of genius for thinking and writing that he himself had, never mind Aquinas?

They were both giants. One reached higher because he stood on the shoulders of the other.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

Augustine’s writing style is more personal and readable than that of Aquinas. Yes, sometimes maddeningly subtle.

But Aquinas’ writing style is more analytic and scholarly.

Reading Augustine is like swimming in rough waters.

Reading Aquinas is like scaling steep mountain sides.

Aquinas had the advantage of nearly an extra thousand years of Christian scholarship to draw upon. He could draw upon Augustine too, but who was Augustine going to draw upon for theological inspiration with the same kind of genius for thinking and writing that he himself had, never mind Aquinas?

They were both giants. One reached higher because he stood on the shoulders of the other.

Love it! I was going to add that Augustine is a lot more fun to read, but Aquinas is more exact and logical. Augustine has s lot of interesting anecdotes, and is very personable, but more literal in his reading of the Bible. I think he was very aware of his own sinfulness and the grace of God.

Aquinas seemed more trusting of the love and mercy of God, probably because he was such a sweet and sinless character from the get-go.

 

[Theophorus]

Love it! I was going to add that Augustine is a lot more fun to read, but Aquinas is more exact and logical. Augustine has s lot of interesting anecdotes, and is very personable, but more literal in his reading of the Bible. I think he was very aware of his own sinfulness and the grace of God.

Aquinas seemed more trusting of the love and mercy of God, probably because he was such a sweet and sinless character from the get-go.

I love St. Augstine but I’m a Thomist at heart and There are some great anecdotes involving St Thomas as well, there is one involving a prostitute and a hot poker/burning log or one about flying pigs both are very funny IMO.

To my mind St Augustine was a theologian first and philosopher second while St. Thomas based his theology firmly on the solid base of philosophy.