This study elicits a concern to show forth those elements in the
theology of Saint Thomas Aquinas that can meaningfully engage with those
trends in contemporary hermeneutical philosophy and theology that
highlight the conditioned nature of human understanding. The main point
of reference in this regard is the hermeneutical philosophy of
Hans-Georg Gadamer.
At the heart of this hermeneutical enterprise
is Thomas's construal of the relationship between intellect and will, a
relationship that can be described as one of dynamic reciprocity. A
dynamic interaction between intellect and will obtains in both their
natural and graced operations. Hence, the title of this book, The
Hermeneutics of Knowing and Willing in the Thought of St. Thomas
Aquinas.
Some might be concerned that the notion of
hermeneutics will import the spectre of relativism into Thomas's
thought. By guiding the reader through Thomas's doctrine of man as made
to the image of the Trinity, his Trinitarian theology, his Christology,
and his treatment of grace, the theological virtues of faith and
charity, and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the author shows how Thomas
in fact offers us resources for a theological hermeneutics of
objectivity. The criteria for this objectivity, so the author argues,
are Trinitarian, Christological, Pneumatological, ecclesial, and
Scriptural.
It is to be hoped that this book will be read not only
by those who have a particular interest in Thomas's theology but also by
theologians outside of the Thomistic tradition, particularly those
interested in hermeneutics.