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- Author: Saint Thomas Aquinas
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Saint Thomas Aquinas
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The Third Part of Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae, known as Tertia Pars, focuses primarily on the nature of human salvation, the virtues that facilitate it, and the role of grace and free will. It is divided into several sections that systematically explore the moral and spiritual dimensions of the Christian life, culminating in the doctrine of the beatific vision—the ultimate goal of human existence.
A central theme in Tertia Pars is the discussion of virtues, especially the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, which Aquinas considers essential for salvation. Faith is presented as the virtue by which humans assent to God's truths revealed through Scripture and tradition, enabling the believer to accept divine mysteries that surpass human reason. Hope is described as the virtue that sustains believers' trust in God's promises, especially the promise of eternal life. Charity (or love) is regarded as the highest virtue, uniting humans with God and with each other; it is the fundamental virtue that perfects all others and is the ultimate end of human life.
Aquinas also discusses the cardinal virtues—prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude—which govern moral conduct. These virtues, cultivated through human effort, work in harmony with the theological virtues to guide individuals toward moral goodness and spiritual perfection.
The role of grace is a significant focus. Aquinas emphasizes that divine grace is necessary for humans to achieve salvation, as it elevates human nature and enables virtuous action. He distinguishes between actual grace, which assists in specific actions, and sanctifying grace, which fundamentally transforms the soul, making it capable of the beatific vision.
Free will is another key topic. Aquinas affirms that human beings have genuine free will, which cooperates with grace in the process of salvation. While grace is necessary, humans must freely accept it; salvation depends on this cooperation.
Finally, Aquinas elaborates on the beatific vision—the direct and immediate knowledge of God enjoyed by the blessed in heaven. He describes it as the ultimate fulfillment of human longing, where the soul, perfected by virtues and grace, sees God face-to-face and experiences perfect happiness. This vision is considered the ultimate end of human existence and the culmination of divine providence.
In summary, the Tertia Pars of Aquinas's Summa Theologiae presents a comprehensive account of the moral virtues, the necessity of grace and free will, and the ultimate goal of human life—the beatific vision—highlighting the harmonious relationship between divine grace and human effort in achieving salvation.
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Bibliographic Record Creator Aquinas, Thomas, Saint, 1225?-1274
Title Summa Theologica, Part I-II (Pars Prima Secundae)
From the Complete American Edition
Language English
EText-No. 17897
Release Date 2006-03-01
Copyright Status Not copyrighted in the United States. If you live elsewhere check the laws of your country before downloading this ebook.
Base Directory /files/17897/
“The greatest theological book ever written . . .”
—Norman L. Geisler
Thomas Aquinas stands among the most important thinkers in the history of Christianity, and his famous Summa Theologica represents the pinnacle of medieval theology and perhaps the most influential theological work in the history of Western Christianity. In the volumes of his writings, we find the forerunners of every intellectual development in the eight centuries that followed, and the depth of his understanding of the nature and being of God has left a lasting mark on the enterprise of Christian theological reflection ever since.
“Perhaps no other man ever came so near to calling the Creator by his own name.”
—G.K. Chesterton
In this massive tome, Aquinas outlines the meaning of all of Christian theology. As a theologian, Aquinas articulates the goals, purposes, and enterprises of theology, and gives theology a prominent place in scholarship, calling theology “the queen of sciences.” As a scholastic, Aquinas sought to understand Christian theology in light of the rediscovery of Aristotle’s works in the twelfth century, and redefined the relationship between revelation and reason, science and theology, and faith and philosophy for the next eight centuries. As a philosopher, Aquinas developed principles of just war and natural law, and outlined an argument for God’s existence from contingency—the intellectual forerunner to the modern Argument from Design. As an aesthetic, Aquinas articulated a vision of God’s beauty, and his aesthetic influence can be felt in the writings of literary figures as diverse as Dante Alighieri, James Joyce, and Umberto Eco.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/17897
Thomas' most significant work is his Summa theologiae or 'summary of Theology,' a gigantic work which attempts to present all of Christian theology as systematically as possible. Thomas worked on it from 1266 through 1273. Then, when he was nearly finished, he underwent an experience so intense that, as he himself explained, everything he had written seemed like straw. He completely stopped writing and died three months later. Thomas was canonized in 1323.
The Summa theologiae is written in a form common to treatises of that age. All of theology is divided into its major topics. These, in turn, are divided into subtopics described by Thomas as 'questions. " The first "question" in the Summa theologiae deals with The nature of Theology itself, the second with God's existence.
The 'questions" are in turn divided into what Thomas calls "articles," specific queries concerning the topic being explored in that particular "question." (Thus, confusingly enough, what Thomas calls "questions" are actually general topics, whereas what he calls "articles" are really what we would mean by the word "questions.") These "articles" form the basic unit of the Summa theologiae, and they proceed according to an invariable form. A specific query is made, then a section beginning with the word videtur ("it seems that") offers arguments for what will later turn out to be the wrong answer to that query. Next, a brief section be ginning with the words sed contra ("but on the contrary") introduces a different answer. A section labeled responsio ("response") finally presents arguments for what Thomas considers the correct view. The question then closes with a refutation of the arguments presented in the videtur section.
The following selection consists of the prologue and first two questions of the Summa theologiae. Some articles of the first question are omitted, but those included are given in their entirety, so that the reader can see how the work (and Thomas' mind) is constructed.
PRIMA PARS.
Sacred Doctrine. The One God. The Blessed Trinity. Creation. The Angels. The Six Days. Man. The Government of Creatures.
PRIMA SECUNDÆ PARTIS.
Man's Last End. Human Acts. Passions. Habits. Vice and Sin. Law. Grace.
SECUNDA SECUNDÆ PARTIS.
Faith. Hope. Charity. Prudence. Justice. Fortitude. Temperance. Acts Which Pertain to Certain Men.
TERTIA PARS.
The Incarnation. The Life of Christ. Sacraments. Baptism. Confirmation. The Holy Eucharist. Penance.
SUPPLEMENTUM TERTIÆ PARTIS.
Penance (continued). Extreme Unction. Holy Orders. Matrimony. The Resurrection. Appendices.