Romans 12:17-21


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Topic: Religions > Bible
User: "Trudie"
Date: 08 Nov 2006 11:28:26 AM
Object: Romans 12:17-21
Bible Verse
- Romans 12:17-21 -
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the
eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace
with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath,
for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
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On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome
by evil, but overcome evil with good. Forgiveness saves the expense of anger,
the cost of hatred, and the waste of spirit.
- Hannah More
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November 8th - Blessed John Duns Scotus
Life
It is not exactly certain as to where he was born. Some scholars claim that he
was born in Duns, Borders, Scotland, whilst others claim Ireland. Ordained a
priest in 1291 in Northampton, England, he studied and taught at Paris
(1293-1297) and Oxford, and probably also at Cambridge. He was, however,
expelled from the University of Paris for siding with Pope Boniface VIII against
Philip the Fair of France. Finally, he came to Cologne, Germany, in 1307.
Duns Scotus was one of the most important Franciscan theologians and was the
founder of Scotism, a special form of Scholasticism. He came out of the Old
Franciscan School, to which Haymo of Faversham (d. 1244), Alexander of Hales (d.
1245), John of Rupella (d. 1245), William of Melitora (d. 1260), St. Bonaventure
(d. 1274), Cardinal Matthew of Aquasparta (d. 1289), John Pecham (d. 1292),
Archbishop of Canterbury, Richard of Middletown (d. about 1300), etc. belonged.
He was known as "Doctor Subtilis" because of his subtle merging of differing
views. Later philosophers were not so complimentary about his work, and the
modern word dunce comes from the name "Dunse" given to his followers.
He died in Cologne and is buried in the Church of the Minorites in Cologne. His
sarcophagus bears the Latin inscription: "Scotia me genuit. Anglia me suscepit.
Gallia me docuit. Colonia me tenet." ("Scotia (Ireland was referred to as Scotia
until the thirteenth century) brought me forth. England sustained me. France
taught me. Cologne holds me.") He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on March
20, 1993. According to an old tradition, Scotus was buried alive after suffering
from a coma and believed dead.
Metaphysics
Duns Scotus is a realist (as opposed to nominalist), in that his metaphysics
deals with things rather than with concepts. Following Aristotle's account,
metaphysics concerns "being qua being" (ens inquantum ens). Being in general
(ens in communi)is the first object of the intellect, as an univoque notion.
Metaphysics includes the study of the transcendentals, so called because they
transcend the division of being into finite and infinite, and the further
division of finite being into the ten Aristotelian categories. Being itself is a
transcendental, and so are the "attributes" of being -- one, true, and good --
which are coextensive with being, but each add something to it. The univocity of
being implies denying any real distinction between essence and existence.
The study of the Aristotelian categories belongs to metaphysics insofar as the
categories, or the things falling under them, are studied as beings. (If they
are studied as concepts, they belong instead to the logician.) There are exactly
ten categories, Scotus argues. The first and most important is the category of
substance. Substances are beings in the most robust sense, since they have an
independent existence (entia per se). Beings in any of the other nine
categories, called accidents, exist in substances. The nine categories of
accidents are quantity, quality, relation, action, passion, place, time,
position, and state (or habitus).
Scotus elaborates a distinct view on hylemorphism, with three important strong
theses that differentiate him. He holds 1) that there exists matter that has no
form whatsoever, or prime matter, as the stuff underlying all change, against
Aquinas (cf. his Quaestiones in Metaphysicam 7, q. 5; Lectura 2, d. 12, q. un.),
2) that not all created substances are composites of form and matter (cf.
Lectura 2, d. 12, q. un., n. 55), that is, that purely spiritual substances do
exist, and 3) that one and the same substance can have more than one substantial
form -- for instance, humans have at least two substantial forms, the soul and
the form of the body (forma corporeitas) (cf. Ordinatio 4, d. 11, q. 3, n. 54).
He argues for an original principle of individuation (cf. Ordinatio 2, d. 3,
pars 1, qq. 1-6), the "haecceity" as the ultimate unity of an unique individual
(haecceitas, an entity's 'thisness'), as opposed to the common nature (natura
communis), feature existing in any number of individuals. For Scotus, the axiom
stating that only the individual exists is a dominating principle of the
understanding of reality. For the apprehension of individuals, an intuitive
cognition is required, which gives us the present existence or the non-existence
of an individual, as opposed to abstract cognition. Thus the human soul, in its
separeted state from the body, will be able of knowing intuitively the
spiritual.
The existence of God can be proven only a posteriori, through its effects. The
Causal Argument he gives for the existence of God is particullary interesting
and precise. It says that an infinity of things that are essentially ordered is
impossible, as the totality of caused things that are essentially caused is
itself caused, and so it is caused by some cause which is not a part of the
totality, for then it would be the cause of itself; for the whole totality of
dependent things is dependent, and not on anything belonging to that totality.
The argument is relevant for Scotus' conception of metaphysical inquiry into
being by searching the ways into which beings relate to eachother.
Theology
Scotus is an Augustinian theologian. He is usually associated with voluntarism,
the tendency to emphasize God's will and human freedom in all philosophical
issues. The main difference between Aquinas' rational theology and that of
Scotus' is that Scotus believes we can apply certain predicates univocally --
with exactly the same meaning -- to God and creatures, whereas Aquinas insists
that this is impossible, and that we can only use analogical predication, in
which a word as applied to God has a meaning different from, although related
to, the meaning of that same word as applied to creatures. Scotus struggled
throughout his works with demonstrating his univocity theory against Aquinas'
analogy doctrine.
Perhaps the most influential point of Duns Scotus theology was his defense of
the Immaculate Conception of Mary. At the time, there was a great deal of
argument about the subject. The general opinion was that it was appropriate, but
it could not be seen how to resolve the problem that only with Christ's death
would the stain of original sin be removed. The great philosophers and
theologians of the West were divided on the subject (indeed, it appears that
even Thomas Aquinas sided with those who denied the doctrine, though some
Thomists dispute this). The feast day had existed in the East since the seventh
century and had been introduced in several dioceses in the West as well, even
though the philosophical basis was lacking. Citing Anselm of Canterbury's
principle, "potuit, decuit, ergo fecit" (God could do it, it was appropriate,
therefore he did it), Duns Scotus devised the following argument: Mary was in
need of redemption like all other human beings, but through the merits of Jesus'
crucifixion, given in advance, she was conceived without the stain of original
sin.
This argument appears in Pope Pius IX's declaration of the dogma of the
Immaculate Conception. Pope John XXIII recommended the reading of Duns Scotus'
theology to modern theology students.
Logic
Scotus was perhaps one of the most influential medieval logicians, in the ranks
of Peter Abelard and William of Ockham. He was the one of the first medieval
logicians to break from the Aristotle's statistical model of possibility and
necessity, and to consider instead the concept of logical possibility. His
theory moves from considering modal notions with respect to different ways the
actual world is arranged at certain times to one where modal notions are
considered with respect to conceptual consistency. This interpretation of
possiblity and necessity thus foreshadows Leibniz's possible worlds conception
of modality.
Quote:
What will we do, what will we become, I ask you, when in Heaven, through the
Sacred Wound of His side, we perceive that most adorable and most lovable Heart
of our Master, aflame with love for us - that Heart where we will see each of
our names written in letters of love!
-St. Francis de Sales
Bible Quote
14 And there came to him the blind and the lame in the temple; and he healed
them. 15 And the chief priests and scribes, seeing the wonderful things that he
did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying: Hosanna to the son of
David; were moved with indignation. (Matthew 21:14-15)
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Saint Anthony, Guide of Pilgrims
Dear St. Anthony, we are all pilgrims. We came from God and
we are going to Him. He who created us will welcome us at
journey's end. The Lord Jesus is preparing a place for all His
brothers and sisters. St. Anthony, Guide of Pilgrims, direct my
steps in the straight path. Protect me until I am safely home in
heaven. Help me in all my needs and difficulties.
(Name them.)
.

 

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