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The Book of Wisdom presents God’s governance as measured, merciful, and mediated through creation. This essay argues that Wisdom 11:21-12:2 exemplifies Aquinas’ providential framework by depicting moderated, creation-mediated punishments that mirror his distinction between providence and governance.

Return to the Heart is not necessarily meant to be a deeply academic work or scholarly commentary. Rather, as Owens himself states, it should serve as a “meditative and thematic mining of the spiritual classic” (xiv). In this approach, Dr. Owens succeeds. Indeed, the more that I read the more I was drawn into meditating on my own journey with the Lord.

In a post-modern, information-flooded world where we are amusing ourselves to death and in which self-conscious irony is entertainment king (because we are afraid to be sincere), it is more important now than ever to articulate accessibly and compellingly the purpose of the arts (and entertainment more broadly). They are meant as a gift to suggest to and orient man towards something definitively true: that he is made for a transcendental end. McInerny has certainly done so in this book, and for this we owe him a round of applause.

The issue remains whether the Thomistic natural philosopher has the wherewithal to defuse Aristotle’s argument for the eternity of time. As has been noted, the issue is not arcane but has implications for how, over the centuries, the philosophical sciences have been taught ad mentem Sancti Thomae.

The debate between Universalists and Perditionists ultimately hinges on conflicting understandings of God’s will, justice, and the purpose of creation. Given the lack of Universalists’ ability to demonstrate the impossibility of hell, the only solution—as in the situation of the eternality of the world—is to look at the tradition and humbly ponder it.