<p>“Levering’s Introduction did not fail to stimulate my interest. Probably of greatest interest will be interactions with some of the renowned Jewish and Christian exegetes in the chapters to come.” (<i>AMAIC Philosophy</i>, 8 February 2013)</p> "… lucidly written, thoroughly documented, an astonishing achievement." <i>Fergus Kerr OP, Blackfriars, Oxford</i> <br /> <p> </p> <p>"A substantive contribution to Trinitarian theology, and an exemplification of how theology ought to be done." <i>William T. Cavanaugh, University of St Thomas</i></p> <p> </p> <p>"Matthew Levering is not content with merely explaining the genuine teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas but also makes him an active partner in today's theological debate. With both a critical mind and a deep sense of Christian tradition, Levering offers the most stimulating introduction to Aquinas's Trinitarian theology available today." <i>Gilles Emery, OP,</i> <i>Professor of Dogmatic Theology,</i> <i>University of Fribourg</i></p> <p>"...in eloquently and clearly setting Aquinas over against many of the most influential voices in theology today, and showing his relevance by liberating him from stereotypicals dismissals, <i>Scripture and Metaphysics</i> lays a path for further investigation that will be fruitful for those who follow it." <i>Journal of Ecclesiastical History</i></p>
- Bridges the gap between scriptural and metaphysical approaches to biblical narratives.
- Retrieves Aquinas’s understanding of theology as contemplative wisdom.
- Structured around Aquinas’s treatise on the triune God in his ‘Summa Theologiae’.
- Argues that intellectual contemplation is part of a broader spiritual journey towards a better understanding of God.
- Contributes to the current resurgence of Thomistic theology in both Protestant and Catholic circles.
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1 Setting the Scene: Theological Ends 12
Chapter 1 Sacra Doctrina: Wisdom, Scripture, and Metaphysics 23
1 Wisdom 28
2 Theologizing as a Wisdom-Exercise 34
3 Isaiah and St. John the Evangelist as Contemplatives 39
Chapter 2 YHWH and Being 47
1 R. Kendall Soulen's Post-Supersessionist Trinitarian Theology 53
2 Aquinas on Being and YHWH 57
Chapter 3 Scripture and Metaphysics in the Theology of God's Knowledge and Will 75
1 Jon D. Levenson on the God of Israel 77
2 St. Thomas Aquinas on the Knowledge and Will of God in His Unity 83
Chapter 4 The Paschal Mystery and Sapiential Theology of the Trinity 110
1 N. T. Wright and Richard Bauckham on Jesus and the Identity of God 112
2 Hans Urs von Balthasar on the Cross as Analog for the Trinity 120
3 The Paschal Mystery as Revelatory of the Trinity in Aquinas 132
Chapter 5 Scripture and the Psychological Analogy for the Trinity 144
1 Aquinas and the Psychological Analogy 149
Chapter 6 Biblical Exegesis and Sapiential Naming of the Divine Persons 165
1 The Person of the Father 169
2 The Person of the Son 179
3 The Person of the Holy Spirit 185
Chapter 7 Essence, Persons, and the Question of Trinitarian Metaphysics 197
1 Trinitarian Ontology in Clarke, Zizioulas, and Hütter 202
2 Trinitarian Ontology and Aquinas's Approach 213
Conclusion 236
Index 242