Description
Contemplation, according to Thomas Aquinas, is the central goal of our life. This study considers the epistemological and metaphysical foundations of the contemplative act; the nature of the active and contemplative lives in light of Aquinas's Dominican calling; the role of faith, charity, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in contemplation; and contemplation and the beatific vision. Rik Van Nieuwenhove argues that Aquinas espouses a profoundly intellective notion of contemplation in the strictly speculative sense, which culminates in a non-discursive moment of insight (intuitus simplex). In marked contrast to his contemporaries Aquinas therefore rejects a sapiential or affective brand of theology. He also employs a broader notion of contemplation, which can be enjoyed by all Christians, in which the gifts of the Holy Spirit are of central importance. Thomas Aquinas and Contemplation will appeal to readers interested in this key aspect of Aquinas's thought. Van Nieuwenhove provides a lucid account of central aspects of Aquinas's metaphysics, epistemology, theology, and spirituality. He also offers new insights into the nature of the theological discipline as Aquinas sees it, and how theology relates to philosophy.
About the Author
Rik Van Nieuwenhove is Associate Professor of Medieval Thought at Durham University. His publications include Introduction to Medieval Theology (Cambridge University Press, 2012), Introduction to the Trinity (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011), and Jan van Ruusbroe: Mystical Theologian of the Trinity(University of Notre Dame Press, 2003).
Reviews
The work is remarkably accessible, given the many technical nuances involved with many of the subthemes, not to mention the breadth of topics treated. For these and many other reasons, Van Nieuwenhove's monograph should restart and move forward important debates among philosophers, dogmaticians, moralists, historians, and scholars of spirituality on medieval and Thomistic theories of contemplation. * Bernhard Blankenhorn, O.P, The Thomist *
As one would hope to find given its title, the book is mostly exegetical in character, and Van Nieuwenhove charts, very beautifully and lucidly, not only the various strands of Aquinas's understanding of notions such as contemplation and wisdom, but also, in a number of cases, the evolution in his perspective and the relationship between his views and those of various of his contemporaries.....No one who is interested in the question of what Aquinas might have to teach us about human life, and the conditions of our flourishing, could fail to be excited by this wide-ranging, rigorous, and judicious study - one that inspires as well as instructs * Mark Wynn, New Blackfriars *
Much of this book is aimed at Thomist scholars and debates, but for anyone who thinks that contemplation is valuable, van Nieuwenhove convincingly raises the question of how contemplation is to be understood as more than a narrowly religious activity. * Edward Howells, The Way *
Thomas Aquinas and Contemplation is much more than a book on one underappreciated aspect of Aquinas's thought. It is a creative synthesis of aspects of Aquinas's epistemology, philosophy of mind, and moral theology. It is circumspect without being timid, opinionated without being polemical, attentive to historical context without overwhelming the reader with needless detail. It is a splendid achievement. * Professor Thomas Williams, Philosophical Review 132 *
According to Aquinas, contemplation is 'the goal (finis) of our entire life and a foretaste of heavenly beatitude'. Rik Van Nieuwenhove's authoritative and interdisciplinary, engaging and wide-ranging book focuses on epistemological and metaphysical issues of contemplation, the relation between active and contemplative lives (in micro) and between philosophy, spirituality, and theology (in macro) as seen through this Dominican's eyes, the parts played by charity, faith, and the Holy Spirit's gifts in the contemplative act, and the liaison between contemplation and the beatific vision. And the result is a triumph. * Luke Penkett, Medieval Mystical Theology 31 *
Thomas Aquinas and Contemplation fills a notable gap in the current literature on the angelic doctor's account of the nature and role of contemplation in the Christian life. * Ross D. Inman, Wake Forest, North Carolina *
Book Information
ISBN 9780192895295
Author Rik Van Nieuwenhove
Format Hardback
Page Count 240
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 484g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 160mm * 21mm
About the Author
Rik Van Nieuwenhove is Associate Professor of Medieval Thought at Durham University. His publications include Introduction to Medieval Theology (Cambridge University Press, 2012), Introduction to the Trinity (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011), and Jan van Ruusbroe: Mystical Theologian of the Trinity(University of Notre Dame Press, 2003).
Reviews
The work is remarkably accessible, given the many technical nuances involved with many of the subthemes, not to mention the breadth of topics treated. For these and many other reasons, Van Nieuwenhove's monograph should restart and move forward important debates among philosophers, dogmaticians, moralists, historians, and scholars of spirituality on medieval and Thomistic theories of contemplation. * Bernhard Blankenhorn, O.P, The Thomist *
As one would hope to find given its title, the book is mostly exegetical in character, and Van Nieuwenhove charts, very beautifully and lucidly, not only the various strands of Aquinas's understanding of notions such as contemplation and wisdom, but also, in a number of cases, the evolution in his perspective and the relationship between his views and those of various of his contemporaries.....No one who is interested in the question of what Aquinas might have to teach us about human life, and the conditions of our flourishing, could fail to be excited by this wide-ranging, rigorous, and judicious study - one that inspires as well as instructs * Mark Wynn, New Blackfriars *
Much of this book is aimed at Thomist scholars and debates, but for anyone who thinks that contemplation is valuable, van Nieuwenhove convincingly raises the question of how contemplation is to be understood as more than a narrowly religious activity. * Edward Howells, The Way *
Thomas Aquinas and Contemplation is much more than a book on one underappreciated aspect of Aquinas's thought. It is a creative synthesis of aspects of Aquinas's epistemology, philosophy of mind, and moral theology. It is circumspect without being timid, opinionated without being polemical, attentive to historical context without overwhelming the reader with needless detail. It is a splendid achievement. * Professor Thomas Williams, Philosophical Review 132 *
According to Aquinas, contemplation is 'the goal (finis) of our entire life and a foretaste of heavenly beatitude'. Rik Van Nieuwenhove's authoritative and interdisciplinary, engaging and wide-ranging book focuses on epistemological and metaphysical issues of contemplation, the relation between active and contemplative lives (in micro) and between philosophy, spirituality, and theology (in macro) as seen through this Dominican's eyes, the parts played by charity, faith, and the Holy Spirit's gifts in the contemplative act, and the liaison between contemplation and the beatific vision. And the result is a triumph. * Luke Penkett, Medieval Mystical Theology 31 *
Thomas Aquinas and Contemplation fills a notable gap in the current literature on the angelic doctor's account of the nature and role of contemplation in the Christian life. * Ross D. Inman, Wake Forest, North Carolina *
Book Information
ISBN 9780192895295
Author Rik Van Nieuwenhove
Format Hardback
Page Count 240
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 484g
Dimensions(mm) 240mm * 160mm * 21mm
