Two New Articles on Fifteenth-Century Thomism in Cologne

It is interesting to me that the most recent issue of RTPM has two articles about Albertism and Thomism in fifteenth-century Cologne.  Silvia Negri has one called “The Traps of Realism: The Debate over Universals in the Fifteenth Century and the Thomists of Cologne.”  She focuses on the Thomists Henry of Gorkum (d. 1431) and Gerard de Monte (d. 1480).  Another article by Mario Melliado is “Scientia peripateticorum. Heymericus de Campo, the Book of Causes, and the Debate over Universals in the Fifteenth Century.”  Although the article is mostly about Hermericus’ anti-Thomistic polemics, there is a discussion of Gerard’s response. 

A Latin-English Printing of the Summa Theologiae is Now Available!

Great news from our friends at the Aquinas Institute:

The Aquinas Institute is proud to announce a completely new printing of the Summa theologiae,in parallel Latin-English columns, 8 hardcover volumes, sewn binding, and at an exceptionally good price.  You have to see the books to believe how handsome they are and how usefully laid out.  The Prima, Prima Secundae, Secunda Secundae, and Tertia are each split into two parts at a logical dividing point.  See our website:

http://www.theaquinasinstitute.org/

Those who order directly from our website get a 25% discount over those who order it at Amazon, as well as free UPS ground shipping — all for the sake of making this edition affordable and widespread.

Recently, Fr. Zuhlsdorf did a splendid review of our Pauline Commentaries set, which I would encourage the readers of Thomistica.net to check out if they haven’t already seen it:

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2012/12/review-st-thomas-aquinas-commentaries-on-st-paul-in-latin-and-english-not-to-mention-the-summa-theologiae/

Merry Christmas!

Pange Lingua

Who established the Melody for this great hymn?

Aquinas and Ontotheology

I’m going to be doing a few posts at the Ave Maria University philosophy department blog on Kevin Hart’s interpretation of Aquinas as an ontotheologian. Hart teaches in the religious studies department at the University of Virginia. His comments on Aquinas come from his book The Trespass of the Sign: Deconstruction, Theology, and Philosophy (1989/2000). The posts are revisions of a section of my dissertation (Fordham, 2008). I thought my reflections might be interesting to some of our readers. I put up the first post a couple days ago.

"Aquinas amongst the analytics"

3:AM Magazine has a lengthy and wide-ranging interview with John Haldane titled “Aquinas amongst the analytics.”  Part 1. Part 2.

An Invitation from Fr. Oliva

Fr. A. Oliva, President of the Leonine Commission, requested that we pass on this information:

SOCIÉTÉ THOMISTE

CENTRE D’ÉTUDES DU SAULCHOIR

Journée thomiste

samedi 1 décembre 2012

Thomismes en débat au XXe siècle :

 France, Allemagne, Pologne, Angleterre

09 h 30 Accueil

10 h Camille DE BELLOY (Paris)

 De la présence dans la connaissance que l’âme a de soi : un conflit d’interprétation thomiste (A. Gardeil et M.-D. Roland-Gosselin)

 10 h 30 Vincent H OLZER (Paris)

Les métamorphoses du transcendantal dans le thomisme contemporain de langue allemande : apories et débats  

11 h 00 Discussion suivie d’une pause

11 h 45 I. PINARD (Secrétaire de rédaction de la RSPT)  

Revue des Sciences philosophiques etet de ses outilsthéologiques site de la du Présentation

12 h 00 G. B ERCEVILLE, M. BORGO, I. COSTA, R. IMBACH, M. MILLAIS, A. OLIVA

Présentation de quelques ouvrages de philosophie et de théologie médiévales I 

12 h 30 Pause repas

14 h 00 Roger P IOUIVET (Nancy)

Le thomisme, l’Ecole de Lvov-Varsovie et le Cercle de Cracovie

14 h 30 Cyrille MICHON (Nantes)

Le thomisme analytique

15 h 00 Discussion suivie d’une pause  

15 h 45 G. BERCEVILLE, M. BORGO, I. COSTA, R. IMBACH, M. MILLAIS, A. OLIVA

 Présentation de quelques ouvrages de philosophie et dethéologie médiévales II

Les séances auront lieu au Saulchoir, Salle « Dumont » du Centre ISTINA,

45, rue de la Glacière Paris XIIIe (Métro 6, station Glacière. Bus 21, arrêt Normann).

Entrée libre.

Nous vous prions de communiquer votre participation au repas (15 €) avant le 21 novembre,

en écrivant à : Adriano Oliva : aoliva@commissio-leonina.org

Major Sale on Leonine Edition of the Summa and the Contra Gentiles

Critical Reprints, whom we have posted about before, is having a Black Friday sale. They are offering 30% off their hardbound reprints of the Leonine edition of the Summa Theologiae and the Summa Contra Gentiles. This also includes their very popular reprint of the single volume edition of the Contra Gentiles. The sale is on today through Tuesday, Nov. 27.

Go here for more information on the sale.

By the way, I can say that I am very happy with my copy of vol. 14 of the Leonine edition (Prima Pars, qq. 1-49) that I have from them. Tom Osborne has also expressed his satisfaction with the single volume version of the Contra Gentiles from Critical Reprints.

If you don’t have your own copy of these volumes of the Leonine edition and you don’t like reading it off a computer screen, then you should check them out at Critical Reprints.

Who is in a Drama Requires a Shepherd

Very happy to be corrected in substance (chiefly) or in detail.

• Thesis: If “they” Really undergo dramatic development, if “they” constitute an event, if the “ever - greater” is truly predicable of them vis-a-vis each other, then “they are not God.” 
  • Who is in a drama unfolds
  • But what unfolds is in the horizon of potentiality.
  • But precisely that which is in the horizon of potentiality is ens commune. For “ens commune” identifies all actual finite being, and all that can unfold and develope is actual finite being.
  • That is, the proper mark of ens commune is that being can be added thereto – more without limit. That is what it is to be in the horizon of potentiality. It is being bounded by possible being, so to speak.
    • §  Consider time, a feature of material ens commune. Our “now” is bounded by a future.
    • §  Consider space, another feature of material ense commune. Our universe is “bounded” by possible expansion. Place and body go together; so, we cannot say there is place where there is no body. Thus, the outer ‘space’ of the universe ends where bodies in place end. Nonetheless, we can “imagine” place beyond the space bordering body. That is, we can imagine the universe expanding.
  • Similarly, if God is in potency, he is thus bounded by possibility, together with other entities. For everything bounded by possibility is in ens commune and what is in ens commune is beings among beings. So, the “they” of God’s Triune Nature would be beings among beings.
  • Further, nothing that is bounded by possibility can shepherd over all possibility. Therefore, God could not be our adequate shepherd.
  • Unless there is such a shepherd, then ‘fortuna’ rules. If ‘fortuna’ rules, we should rather be tragic in our existence than comedic. That is, we would have no one in whom to trust with certainty.
  • Again, if there is no such shepherd over ens commune, then if things are unfolding, being is coming from non-being. And if this is possible, by what principle would we trace a necessary dependence of other finite entities upon God-thus-understood?
  • Thus, by rendering God to be thus, we remove or minimize his interiority to the being of other finite entities.
  • And alas, we are on a journey to what?
  • Conclusion: Drama without End is Nihilism.

Ave Maria University; Open Position in Theology

AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY Department of Theology invites applications for an Assistant Professor of Systematic or Moral Theology, with a preference being given to the latter. The successful candidate will demonstrate both speculative engagement with the truth of the Catholic faith and a knowledge of the philosophical resources Systematic and/or Moral theologians d rew upon in relating the truth of faith to human reason. Ph.D. required at time of appointment. Adherence to the teachings of the Catholic Church and willingness to apply for the Mandatum are required. Applicants should send a curriculum vitae, a description of research plans and pedagogical approach that responds the principles proposed in Ex Corde Ecclesiae, representative publications, and three letters of reference as attachments to GraduateTheology@AveMaria.Edu or mail to Chairman of the Theology Search Committee, Ave Maria University, 5050 Ave Maria Blvd., Ave Maria FL 34142-9550. Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2012 and will continue until the position is filled. Position is subject to final administrative approval. Ave Maria University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Call for papers: Thomas Instituut Utrecht (Netherlands)

From 11 until 14 december 2013 the ‘Thomas Instituut Utrecht’ will organize its fourth international conference. Previous conferences were devoted to the themes ‘Divine Transcendence and Immanence in Aquinas, 2005), ‘Aquinas as authority, 2000) and ‘Aquinas on Guilt and Forgiveness, 1995), the proceedings of which are are published by Peeters, Leuven.

The 2013 Conference is entitled: “Faith, Hope and Love. Thomas Aquinas on living by the infused virtues”.

Check out their call for papers here.

Proposals should be send to the director Prof. Henk Schoot (h.j.m.schoot[AT]uvt.nl) before March 1, 2013.

OHIO DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY; COLUMBUS, OHIO; ENDOWED CHAIR

Ohio Dominican University is seeking applications and nominations for the Sr. Ruth Caspar Chair in Philosophy, beginning fall 2013. The successful candidate will be at full professor rank, and a nationally recognized scholar with a proven record of scholarly publications and excellence in teaching. The successful candidate will also demonstrate a willingness and ability to support the university’s Catholic and Dominican mission. The position includes a reduced teaching load, with the expectation of leading colloquia or delivering lectures. Applications from women and underrepresented minority candidates are welcomed. Ohio Dominican is located in Columbus, Ohio, a vibrant metropolitan area with an affordable cost of living. Applications should be submitted to http://www.ohiodominican.edu/jobs/ and should include a letter of interest, a CV, and a list of references. Review of applications will begin December 1.

Weisheipl's Commentary on the Posterior Analytics Online

I was just looking again at my poorly reproduced copy of Weisheipl’s notes on Aristotelian Methodology, and decided to look for a cleaner copy online.  There is a redone copy here, with clearer marks and divisions: http://pvspade.com/Logic/docs/Weisheipl.pdf.  The formatting is improved so that it is easier to read. 

There are a few ways in which it is still helpful to look at the old versions that circulate around.  The schematic representations do not seem to be reproduced.  For example, in the old version there is a schematic representation of the “principia immediata syllogismi” which is not reproduced in the online version.  The online version lacks the Appendices.  I wonder if Weisheipl made different versions of this, and would like to know more about what the history is.