Understandings of nature and grace in John Milbank and Thomas Aquinas

John Milbank is one of the most recent and arguably most radical proponents of an understanding of nature as graced. This article critically examines Milbank's understanding of nature and grace, specifically as elaborated within his reading of Thomas Aquinas. In the first part I will outline Aq...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inScottish journal of theology Vol. 62; no. 3; pp. 347 - 361
Main Author Mawson, Michael
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.08.2009
Subjects
13th century
Aquinas, Thomas (1225-1274)
Attention
Christianity
Doctrine and exegesis
History and sciences of religions
Mediaeval church
Middle Ages
Milbank, John
Nature
Negotiation
Reading
Theology
Truth
Grand Rapids Michigan
Nature
Grace
Thomas Aquinas
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:John Milbank is one of the most recent and arguably most radical proponents of an understanding of nature as graced. This article critically examines Milbank's understanding of nature and grace, specifically as elaborated within his reading of Thomas Aquinas. In the first part I will outline Aquinas's most direct discussions of nature and grace in the Summa Theologica, drawing attention to several central, albeit subtle, distinctions that these contain. In the second and third parts, I will examine Milbank's reading of Aquinas in Truth in Aquinas, and examine whether it adequately reflects and negotiates Aquinas's distinctions. On this basis I will argue Milbank's reading, while drawing attention to some important and often neglected areas of Aquinas's thought, ultimately remains limited.
Bibliography:PII:S0036930609004773
ArticleID:00477
ark:/67375/6GQ-BWLGC357-N
istex:7016757D9B0CA4DFC39C4D489C9FA50E562C7733
ISSN:0036-9306
1475-3065
DOI:10.1017/S0036930609004773