Thomas Aquinas and Karl Barth: Sacred Doctrine and the Natural Knowledge of God

This book is a work of systematic theology that provides a fresh interpretation of Aquinas on the nature of theology, and uncovers and explores theological affinities between Aquinas and Protestant theologian Karl Barth. Eugene F. Rogers, Jr., presents a challenge to contemporary Catholic thought and contributes to a paradigm shift in Thomas interpretation with this groundbreaking book: He provides a fresh interpretation of Aquinas on the nature of theology and uncovers and explores theological affinities between Aquinas and Protestant theologian Karl Barth. As an overture to contemporary Protestant thought, he seeks to overcome prejudices about Thomas's commitments to Scripture and the centrality of Jesus Christ, and does so in part by turning to Aquinas's commentary on Romans -- a crucial work never before translated or treated at length in English. CONTENTS PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND DISCLAIMERS AUTHOR'S NOTE Chapter 1— Three Audiences and Two Agendas PART I— SACRED DOCTRINE IS SCIENTIA": A HYPOTHESIS ELABORATED AND A PARTIAL TEST PREPARED Chapter 2— "Sacred Doctrine is Scientia": A Reading of Question 1 Hypothesis Elaborated The More Aristotelian... Integrity Lost The More Scriptural The More Christoform PART II— A PARTIAL TEST: THE THEOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF THE NATURAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IN THOMAS'S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS Chapter 3— The Identity of Paul in the Prologue to Thomas's Commentaries on His Epistles: Election, Vocation, Inspiration Barth's Question Election as Introduction The Formation The Filling Up: The Matter of Election is Jesus Christ The Use: Election as Providence and Vocation Fruit: Election as Usefulness, Non-election Apparent Unusefulness Election and Biblical Inspiration Chapter 4— Thomas's Commentary on Romans 1:1–16: The Gospel Grace of Christ, the Example of Paul, and the Structure of the Text "The Power of Gospel Grace" The Power of Gospel Grace is Christ's Paul as Implicit Example of "The Power of Gospel Grace" The Nesting Structure of Governing Assertions in Romans 1 "Salvation is from the Jews" Chapter 5— Thomas's Commentary on Romans 1:17–25 The Just Shall Live by Faith" "Who Detain the Truth of God in Injustice" Those Who Have the True Cognition of God—and Lack It The Natural Cognition of God in Its Immediate Textual Context Preliminary Conditions on the Natural Cognition of God From Notum to Cognoscibile The Positive Claim of the Natural Cognition of God The Demonstration of God's Cosmological Claim Transition to a Trinitarian Cognition of God A Trinitarian Natural Cognition of God Perfected by Faith Cognitio Detenta and Scientia Subtracta What Thomas Means by "Theologia Naturalis" Chapter 6— Conclusions about the Natural Cognition of God from Thomas's Romans Commentary Excursus: The Romans Commentary and the Threefold Division of Faith PART III— A FURTHER OBJECTION ANSWERED AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HYPOTHESIS ASSESSED: THOMAS AND BARTH Chapter 7— Thomas and Barth A Thomistic Objection and Thomas's Possible Reply A Barthian Objection and Thomas's Reconstructed Reply Assessment and Significance of the Hypothesis: Thomas and Barth in Convergence on Romans 1? Epilogue— The Common Thomas of Barth and Vatican I NOTES Notes to the Preface Notes to Chapter One Notes to Chapter Two Notes to Chapter 3 Notes to Chapter 4 Notes to Chapter 5 Notes to Chapter 6 Notes to Chapter 7 Notes to the Epilogue INDEX