Continuing Values of the Thomistic Theology

The macro-design of St. Thomas’ Theology

The macro-design of St. Thomas’ Theology is based on the Neo-Platonic world-view. Through this, Thomas was able to present and arrange his theology with an overarching theme of emergence and return; exitus and reditus. Man and the rest of creation exist from God and move (forward) toward God; being the creation’s telos (end-goal). The movement of man and the creation towards God demonstrates the invitation of the latter to the former to participate in His divinity; man as partakers of God’s divinity as exemplified in the mystery of incarnation. 

Characteristics of Thomistic Theology

Thomistic Theology is anthropological in as much as it deals with the origin, nature, and destiny of man. This is evident in the number of treatises in the Summa Theologica (ST) he had dedicated on man and those subject related to man e.g. From the First Part Treatise on Man (l. qq 75-102), Treatise on the Conservation and Government of Creature (I. qq 103-119), and basically the entire Second Part (First and Second Parts) are dedicated on Man (Ia.I. 1-114, and IIa. Iae. qq 1-189). He dedicated 346 questions regarding Man. Judging from the discussions he made on man, it can be concluded that Thomas’ Theology possesses an anthropological dimension.

The contemplative character of Thomas Theology is evident in the Macro-design of his theology; exitus and reditus. To contemplate is to look intensely; to look from the sensible element to more abstract elements; to see through the naked eyes; in theology, to move from physical to spiritual. Thomas’ Theology focused on God seeing his distance from, and his nearness to man; His transcendence and immanence to man. As Thomas discussed man and creation, he would proceed to the mystery of Incarnation, of the Church and of the Last things; of the Spiritual from the physical (see Third Part of ST). From the treatises highlighting God’s distance from man and creation, Thomas continued and end focusing on the transcendence of God as the end goal (telos) of Man.   

The eschatological aspect of Thomas’ Theology, like its contemplative dimension, can be traced on the macro design of his theology. Thomas’ theology ends with a return of man to his origin. The last part of the Third Part of ST (III. qq 86-99) deals with the last things; eschaton, judgment, damnation and rewards. This highlighted the union of man with God, the completion of the cycle of exitus and reditus of man to God. This, too, is mysticism; the oneness of man with God, whom he had contemplated upon, desired, and achieved at the end of his sojourn on earth. 

 Main Criticism hurdled against Thomistic Theology

Thomistic theology is often criticized as too rationalistic as it gives premium on metaphysics; on Being; One, True, Good, and Beautiful, and ultimately on God Himself. These metaphysical concepts are intangible, which the senses may find difficult to comprehend, as the mind, too, finds them difficult to grasp.

Thomistic theology may be metaphysical, but it is not devoid of physical, sensible, and material component. Thomas’ theology would have sensible and material elements as starting point of his theologizing. In his Quinque Viae, for example, he uses the observable world to prove the existence of non-observable being; God. From the physical, Thomas guides his readers, contemplatively (focusing intently on the physical) towards the metaphysical. Thus, the accusation that Thomistic is too rationalistic due to its metaphysical considerations can be debunked by the fact that Thomas uses the physical o reach the metaphysical, through contemplative way of thinking.  

A personal definition of Thomistic Theology

Thomistic theology is a theology of encounter. It deals with the encounter of the creature with his Creator. Man encounters a transcendent yet immanent God. As man exits from God, he encounters God in the creation, in His Son, and in the Church. And at the end of his sojourn on earth, he encounters God in the fullest sense, being reunited with Him, now as partaker of His divinity. Man lives longing for this last encounter, and achieved such through his daily encounter with God in his fellow men and in the Church.

Thomistic theology and Existential Theology

Existentialism is a philosophy that stresses the existence of man, his freedom and choices he makes. One of its major tenets is that man can create his own meaning in life, and is capable of making rational decisions in the midst of irrationality in the universe. With this definition of existentialism applied on theology, existential theology can be understood as a theology that deals with man’s search for the meaning of his existence that can only be found in God, attained through free and informed decisions he himself had made.

Thomistic and Existential Theology both have the human experience as their starting point. Man recognizes, by means of the abstraction and transcendence of his lived experiences, the limitations and necessity of his humanity, in order to live his life, and ultimately to fulfill his very purpose in life. 

The self in man is alive, dynamics, filled with vitality, love and feelings. These two theologies recognizes the fact that man is capable of making decision for himself; chartering his own path, by virtue of him being alive. The self is not simply being that exists in an automated way; it thinks, it knows, it decides etc. Thus, whether the self search for meaning in his life, or find his way to God (reditus), he has himself to decide for this aims.