I’m still plowing ahead in my two year SCG reading project. I finished Book II earlier this month. I’m still on track to complete it at the end of 2023. I’m entirely too busy to give the blow-by-blow account I started with earlier in the year. I’m sorry about that. Keep reading.
The last post was here. I’m having a lot of trouble concentrating on reading ANYTHING right now. This is for good and bad reasons. The good reasons I’m having trouble reading is because of all the fun, miraculous, productive work I can do around the place here. Spring is coming. Cuttings are growing in …
12. Summa Contra Gentiles by St. Thomas Aquinas Bk 1 chapters 26-35 Read More »
The previous post is here. Chapters 20-25 are on the basic nature of God. What is he? How is he made? What of? While interesting and like all matters about God, very important, this section has been a slog for me. Here’s my wrap up of points made here: God is not a body. …
11. Summa Contra Gentiles by Thomas Aquinas. Summary Bk1 Chapters 20-25 Read More »
The previous post is here. Chapter 19 That in God there is nothing violent or beside nature Aristotle concludes there is nothing violent or outside of nature in God. From Chapter 19 of SCG For whatever has in itself anything violent of beside nature has something added to itself, since that which belongs to …
10. Summa Contra Gentiles by Thomas Aquinas. Summary Bk1 Chapters 19 Read More »
The previous post is here. Chapter 17 That in God there is no matter Matter is not a principle of activity because, as Aristotle tells us, efficient and material causes aren’t the same. God being the first efficient cause, he is not matter. Those who hold that matter comes first acknowledge then that natural things …
9. Summa Contra Gentiles by Thomas Aquinas. Summary Bk1 Chapters 17-18 Read More »
The previous post is here. Chapter 14 that to acquire knowledge of God one must use the way of remotion Having proved there is a God what is he? The divine essence in it’s enormity cannot be understood entirely and must be investigated by remotion, which is a process of removing. By learning what God …
8. Summa Contra Gentiles By Thomas Aquinas Summary Book 1 Chapter 14-16 Read More »
As best I can tell the arguments in chapter 13 are really three. One. Motion is imparted from one body to another. Two. Motion must start somewhere. Three. All of these weird things in the world obey the same laws. These three tell Aquinas that there must be an origin of this. Note that …
7. Summa Contra Gentiles Book 1 chapter 13 comments Read More »
The previous post is here. Chapter 13 Arguments in prof of God’s existence Thomas has already shown that proofs of God’s existence are not futile. He starts then to prove this through Aristotle’s route. 1. Whatever is in motion was set in motion by something else. Whatever moved it either was moved itself …
6. Summa Contra Gentiles By Thomas Aquinas Summary Book 1 Chapter 13 Read More »
Last post. I’m smoking a bit of Cornell & Diehll’s 2020 Sun Bear and reading Aquinas. Sun Bear is toasty, nutty AND grassy with Virginas. . Thomas is brilliant. They are a good pairing. Chapter 10 Of the opinion of those who say it cannot be demonstrated that there is a God, since this …
5. Summa Contra Gentiles By Thomas Aquinas Summary Book 1 Chapters 10-12 Read More »
Previous post Chapter 7 That the truth of reason is not in opposition o the truth of the Christian Faith That which is in reason by nature are most true. It is impossible to find those things false. Finding those things of reason to be true, and faith be true, those things reason knows …
4. Summa Contra Gentiles By Thomas Aquinas Summary Book 1 Chapters 7-9 Read More »