Creation in Christ in Aquinas’s Creation Theology in the Light of His References to the Pauline Letters

Abstract

This study delineates the main features of Aquinas's creation doctrine in the light of his commentaries on the Pauline letters. In the last decades of the twentieth century, counter to the unilateral depiction of Aquinas as a philosopher, there was a growing appreciation of his role as a biblical exegete. To unveil the significance of his scriptural commentaries, this study examines his creation theology whose preeminence in his doctrinal edifice is beyond doubt. By availing myself of the Index Thomisticus , I identified passages from Aquinas's commentaries on the Pauline letters and their corresponding scriptural verses relevant to the subject of creation. I also examined his references to those verses in his non-exegetical works. Based on my overall analysis, it becomes clear that (1) Aquinas's creation theology in the light of his comments on the Pauline letters focuses primarily on the topics of God the sole Creator and the goodness of creatures. Moreover, (2) it is theocentric insofar as he pays attention more to God the Creator than to creatures. (3) It is also optimistic in the sense that it spares no effort to defend the goodness of creatures. (4) It boasts a Christocentric dimension as well. He attributes the creation of all things to Christ in his divine nature and also, by virtue of communicatio idiomatum, to the man Christ. Besides, (5) it is ingenious. He demonstrates his adeptness at intuiting truths concerning creation in verses that prima facie do not relate to creation. Furthermore, (6) it is worth studying since some creation-related metaphors appear only in his exegetical works (eg, the sermo scientiae and the book of creatures). Lastly, (7) the subject of creation permeates his entire comments on the Pauline letters. It is absent only in his reflection on 1 and 2 Thessalonians.