Scholastic

 Scriptorium

Introduction to Scholastic Age

While it is an obvious over simplification, it is helpful for memory,

to position the Scholastic Age from 1000 to 1400.  It started with

learned argumentation in the Greek mode of Aristotle, defending

the faith against Greek philosophy.  It reached its pinnacle with men

like Aquinas and Bonaventure, but then disintegrated with excessive

nominal argument for the sake of argument, as exemplified by

William of Ockham's use of the "razor." (Entia non sunt

multiplicanda sine necessitate.= Entities must not be multiplied

without necessity.)  The Moderns, starting with Renaissance humanism,

rescued Christianity from its destructive logical narcissism.  This

section presents an overview of some of the more readable authors of

the Scholastic Age.

One of the greatest benefits of reading the Scholastics is to realize the wrestling match they conducted with faith and reason, theology and philosophy.   And let us not kid ourselves, maintaining the faith, in every age, is always a matter of holding onto faith in the face of rational objections bubbling up from within the human psyche.  One of the greatest summaries of this enduing existential struggle between faith and reason is the often-quoted adage of St. Anselm: Credo ut intelligam.  “I believe in order that I may understand.”

However, one of the greatest misunderstandings of that incisive “slogan” is to quote it only partially, and out of context.   Anselm opened the Scholastic age because he was the first great challenger of the newly translated Greek texts of Plato and Aristotle, which represented the logical assault of Greek philosophy against the faith.  The intellectual darkness of the Gothic invasions was opening out to the studied monastic light of scholars who would be saints.  Anselm set the tone, keyed the major chord.  Here is what William Turner, of the Jacques Maritain Center, says in this regard.

“The Credo ut intelligam is evidently an echo of St. Augustine's Crede ut intelligas. The Intelligo ut credam is the formula of Scholasticism, the justification of the use of dialectic and of the application of dialectic to dogma within the limits of orthodoxy.  It is interesting to note in St. Anselm's philosophy the development of another element which is as essential to Scholasticism as is the use of dialectic, namely, the union of faith and reason, of theology and philosophy.”

http://www.nd.edu/Departments/Maritain/etext/hop30.htm

    (Note "Crede ut intelligas" = You must believe in order that you may understand.)

So now, consider the entire passage that set the Scholastic age in motion,

the closing lines of Chapter I of Anselm's, Proslogium:

          “For I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. 

          Neque enim quaero intelligiere ut credam, sed credo ut intelligam.

          For this also I believe, -- that unless I believed, I should not understand.”

        Nam et hoc credo: quia <<nisi credidero, non intelligam.>>

    He does not rashly put down rationality;  that would be a vanity of vanities.  The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.  The Credo ut can only be uttered after the vanity of  “I want to know it all,” is buried in humility of assent.  This insight from the Scholastics is not anti-intellectual.  Indeed, the Scholastic age is quite argumentative, rational and dialectic.   Knowledge and study are required, prerequisites, to learn about Christ.  But the act of faith is volitional.  "Faith is a personal adherence of the whole man to God who reveals himself.  It involves an assent of the intellect and will to the self-revelation God has made through his deeds and words." (176, Catechism of The Catholic Church.)

The complete works of St. Anselm are available on line at The Medieval Sourcebook:

For an incisive conformation of the need to support faith with truth once the assent is made read Maritain's prerequisites for  prayer, on the Moderns page.

An Insight into Prayer from Bonaveture

 In 13^th century Paris, The Franciscan school of St. Bonaventure was contemporary with, and somewhat   opposed to, the Dominican school of  Thomas Aquinas.  The Franciscans seemed to stress the heart; while the Dominican’s appeared to rely more on the intellect.  But that is, of course, a very gratuitous over simplification.  However, here is a little spiritual exercise you can go through to experience the heart vs. mind polarity within yourself.

STEP ONE….Read the two translations of the first line of paragraph 4, from Chapter 7 of Bonaventure’s

The Mind’s Road to God

Translation # 1: From the Internet at:

http://www.catholictreasury.info/Journey/mind12.htm

4. In this passage, if it is perfect, all intellectual operations should be abandoned, and the whole height of our affection should be transferred and transformed into God.   This, however, is mystical and most secret, which no man knoweth but he that hath received it [Apoc., 2, 17], nor does he receive it unless he desire it; nor does he desire it unless the fire of the Holy Spirit, Whom Christ sent to earth, has inflamed his marrow. And therefore the Apostle says that this mystic wisdom is revealed through the Holy Spirit.

Translation # 2: From LOH, Office Readings for Feast of St. Bonaventure, July 15.

For this passover to be perfect, we must suspend all the operations of the mind and we must transform the peak of our affections, directing them to God alone.  This is a sacred mystical experience.  It cannot be comprehended by  anyone unless he surrenders himself to it; nor can he surrender himself to it unless he longs for it; nor can he long for it unless the Holy Spirit, whom Christ sent into the world, should come and inflame his innermost soul.  Hence the Apostle says that this mystical wisdom is revealed by the Holy Spirit.

Original Latin found on the Internet at:

http://www.franciscan-archive.org/bonaventura/opera/itinerl.html

4. In hoc autem transitu, si sit perfectus, oportet quod relinquantur omnes intellectuales operationes, et apex affectus totus transferatur et transformetur in Deum.   Hoc autem est mysticum et secretissimum, quod nemo novit, nisi qui accipit, nec accipit nisi qui desiderat, nec desiderat nisi quem ignis Spiritus sancti medullitus inflammat, quem Christus misit in terram. Et ideo dicit Apostolus, hanc mysticam sapientiam esse per Spiritum sanctum revelatam.

STEP TWO

NOW NOTE HOW IMPERSONAL THE FIRST TRANSLATION IS.

“intellectual operations should be abandoned”…and…”.our affection should be transferred”

 It is almost a literal translation of the Latin;

NOW NOTE HOW PERSONAL THE SECOND TRANLATIONS IS.

 “we must suspend”…”we must transform our affections.”

STEP THREE

The next time you attend Sunday mass, pay special attention to the two translations of the ancient Collect, now called the Opening Prayer, read just before the Liturgy of the Word.  Note that the first translation echoes the brevity and impersonal tone of the original Latin; while the second, or “Alternative Payer,” is more relaxed, personal, and inviting.  You might even pray each one before mass, so that you may more deeply experience the one selected by the priest for that mass.  The same two translations of the collect (opening prayer at mass) are used in the Liturgy of the Hours as the closing of Morning Prayer each Sunday.  Here are the two prayer options available for the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

   Father, we rejoice in the gifts                                                    Father, we honor the heart of your Son

   we have received from the heart of Jesus your Son.             broken by man's cruelty,

   Open our hearts to share his life                                               yet symbol of love's triumph,

   and continue to bless us with his love.                                   pledge of all that man is called to be.

   We ask this through Christ our Lord.                                     Teach us to see Christ in the lives we touch,

                                                                                                          to offer him living worship

                                                                                                          by love-filled service to our brothers and sisters.

                                                                                                          We ask this through Christ our Lord.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Note 1:  This meditation on prayer was inspired by the reading of Bonaventure’s text on July 15, which is why it is located here with the Scholastics, rather than in the section on prayer and liturgy.   Indeed, the reader is commended to read the Itinerarium Mentis ad Deum, The Mind’s Road to God, at this web site:

http://www.franciscan-archive.org/bonaventura/opera/itinerl.html

…which offers both the English and Latin versions of this inspiring document.

Incidentally both Aquinas and Bonaventure died in the same year, 1274.

Note 2:  The quotation from Apocalypse (Revelation) 2:17 is a spooky echo of the old philosophical axiom: “No man gives what he does not have.”  Nemo dat quod non habet.   Revelation says, “No man knoweth but he that recieveth it.”   Quod nemo scit, nisi qui accipit.

Aquinas on Faith and Reason

The ancient Greeks, the Jews of the Old Testament, all Christians and --indeed-- all humanity struggle with the relationship between faith and reason, theology and philosophy.  For the  ancient Greek it was the reasoning logic of the philosophers versus the hard to believe life of the pagan gods, which  --none the less-- state authorities ordered obedience to.  For ancient Israel it was the faith of the prophets correcting the earth bound reason of the wandering Jews who kept constructing rational gods that could be seen and touched, against a faith in the unseen one God.  For each of us, it is a continual struggle.  As the then Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, said in one of his lectures:  Every believer is plagued with the possibility of no God; and every unbeliever is plagued with the possibility of a God.

The first scholastic answer to the riddle was formulated by Augustine and Anselm, with Anselm merely polishing the wording of  Augustine's insight in the famous formula:

"I do not seek to understand in order to believe; rather I seek to believe in order to understand.  And this too I believe; that if I did not believe, I would not understand."    As discussed in  the article on Anslem, also on this page, the underscored words  have been immortalized in the expression "Credo ut," I believe in order that. 

Aquinas clarified the issue a bit more throughout his writings.  His stand has been summarized by

F.-J. Thonnard, A.A., in his Short History of Philosophy, 1955.  Here is a summary of Thonard's summary. (Pages 354-357)

Thomas outlined the respective domains of faith and reason and showed how they collaborate in the construction of Christian philosophy and theology.

   Every truth known with intrinsic evidence  [either through experience or demonstration]  belongs to reason alone.

   Every truth known without intrinsic evidence but through teaching based on the divine authority of revelation belongs to faith alone.

   Faith and reason cannot, do not, contradict each other.

   Faith has the obligation  to protect reason from error.

   Faith has a second obligation to elevate reason to the contemplation of God.

   Reason has the "apologetic" obligation to clarify the truths of faith and lead

       the soul to the point where it can make a willful assent to faith.

  Reason has a second obligation a "polemic role" to defend faith by

     fighting against false doctrines.

   Reason has a third obligation toward faith to help it formulate doctrine. 

        This is called the theological role of reason toward faith.

  Here are the opening words of Pope John Paul II's 

  1998 Encyclical "Faith and Reason:"

   <<Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth...>>

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