The structure of the first forty-five questions of the Summa theologiae of Saint Thomas Aquinas
The thesis has four main parts. The introduction, ~Contemporary Thomism~, endeavours to justify a re-examination of the structure of the initial questions of the Summa Theologiae on account of the distortions in the presentation of Thomas inherent in the Leonine revival. The four chapters of Part Two consider first, Lombard's Sentences, second, Anselm's Monologion and Proslogion, third, Boethius' De Trinitate, the De Divinis Nominibus of Dionysius and the De Divisione Naturae of Eriugena, and fourth, the Neoplatonism of Proclus and Porphyry in a search for the origins of Thomas' theological structure. It concludes that for the specific features of his system Thomas reaches back beyond the Sentences to the pagan and Christian adaptations of the opposing traditions of Porphyry and Iamblichus. The five chapters of Part Three analyze the structure of the questions. The first chapter considers the place of the ~five ways~; the other four treat questions 1 - 13; 14 - 26; 27 - 43; and 44 - 45 respectively. The analysis discovers a common circular structure in which there is a gradual development from the divine simplicity toward more inclusive and concrete forms of divine self-relation. It finds also an incompletely
Hankey, W. J.
Philosophy
The structure of the first forty-five questions of the Summa theologiae of Saint Thomas Aquinas. The thesis has four main parts. The introduction, ~Contemporary Thomism~, endeavours to justify a re-examination of the structure of the initial questions of the Summa Theologiae on account of the distortions in the presentation of Thomas inherent in the Leonine revival. The four chapters of Part Two consider first, Lombard's Sentences, second, Anselm's Monologion and Proslogion, third, Boethius' De Trinitate, the De Divinis Nominibus of Dionysius and the De Divisione Naturae of Eriugena, and fourth, the Neoplatonism of Proclus and Porphyry in a search for the origins of Thomas' theological structure. It concludes that for the specific features of his system Thomas reaches back beyond the Sentences to the pagan and Christian adaptations of the opposing traditions of Porphyry and Iamblichus. The five chapters of Part Three analyze the structure of the questions. The first chapter considers the place of the ~five ways~; the other four treat questions 1 - 13; 14 - 26; 27 - 43; and 44 - 45 respectively. The analysis discovers a common circular structure in which there is a gradual development from the divine simplicity toward more inclusive and concrete forms of divine self-relation. It finds also an incompletely
structure first forty_five question saint thomas aquinas four_main part introduction contemporary endeavour justify re_examination structure initial question account distortion presentation thomas inherent revival part_two consider first sentences second third dionysius fourth neoplatonism search origins thomas theological structure concludes specific_feature system thomas reach_back beyond sentences pagan christian adaptation oppose tradition part_three analyze structure question first_considers place treat question respectively analysis common circular structure gradual development divine simplicity toward inclusive concrete form divine self relation find also