St. Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologiae. Vol. 49 (a. 7–15) The Grace of Christ by Liam G. Walsh, O. P.

Abstract

386 BOOK REVIEWS Ratzinger rejoins that the uncertainty of historical research today leaves us about where Christians were in Augustine's day without it. (p. ~18) Kasemann, not to be silenced, returns to the fray to register " fundamental opposition on one point." The independence, autonomy, and nonabsorption of Christ into the Christian community cannot be realized through the ordained ministry but through the word. (p. ~18-4) The present reviewer would have to side with Ratzinger. But the exchange that occurred confirms him in one conviction he has had for some time and conveyed to churchmen and theologians alike (e. g., in his paper at the September meeting in 1974 of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Bilateral Ecumenical Consultation in the USA and in his address to the United States Catholic Conference in November of the same year). That conviction comes to this. In consensus statements that deal with the church but not with what the authors think of the Lordship exercised by Jesus Christ today, agreement may be more apparent than real. Is it right to assume without further ado so broad a consensus on christology? He thinks not and has recommended that attention be paid by ecumenists to christological concerns both for the sake of the churches involved and for a far wider audience. The reader will not be surprised to find out that the reviewer finds his conviction not only not challenged but actually confirmed by the discussion recorded in the present volume. The Catholic University of America Waahington, D. C. CARL J. PETER St. Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologiae. Vol. 49 (a. 7-15) The Grace of Christ. By LIAM G. WALSH, 0. P. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1974. Pp. 259. $12.50. Liam Walsh does honor to Dominican scholarship by his careful, lucid English translation and commentary on questions seven to fifteen of the "Tertia Pars " of St. Thomas's Summa Theologiae. The volume is entitled , The Grace of Christ, since this question is developed most fully. It might also have been subtitled, " The Human Condition of the Incarnate Word," a title which St. Thomas himself used to introduce this section of his summa. Four main divisions are found in the work: Christ's grace; Christ's knowledge; Christ's power; Christ's physical disabilities. What is particularly attractive and helpful in this volume is the Introduction {pp. XVII-XXVII) in which the author situates the question treated in this part, explains St. Thomas's method, his use of Scripture, BOOK REVIEWS 387 his anthropological principles, and his theology. The author is not defensive , nor apologetic. He succeds in making a case for a current appreciation of the thought o£ St. Thomas, while at the same time he freely admits that there are limitations to the Thomistic synthesis especially in the area of Christ's knowledge. One does not come away with the impression that one has been sold a bill of goods. Rather, one finds an honest appraisal of the advances made in Christology with the aid of more contemporary philosophies. One cannot help but be impressed. In addition to the footnotes proper to the Summa there are many (yet, not too many) excellent explanations of the meaning o£ the text, particularly in relation to developments which have occurred in modern Christological studies. Again, one finds no attempt to defend but only an attempt to clarify the context of the particular question and an openness to other approaches more in line with modern thought and more apt to coincide with biblical thought-patterns. In his brief, concise commentary there is evidence of a real familiarity with the documents of tradition, as well as with recent scriptural syntheses, something which would please the Master Theologian himself. The area of St. Thomas's Christological synthesis which is most often criticized by biblical scholars and modern theologians is that which is concerned with the knowledge of Christ. This is handled very well in the commentary: there is a good exposition of Thomas's reasoning and an appreciation of new insights. The volume concludes with a glossary of important technical terms. It is to be hoped that the remaining volumes of this series will be o£ the same quality as...