<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

This essay will present Richard Rohr’s central claims about Jesus Christ and the presence of God in creation and then consider them in light of Aquinas’s teachings with particular attention to his <italic>Commentary on John</italic>. This essay attempts to show that Rohr’s claims are incomplete and ultimately misguided and that Aquinas’s participatory account of creation and the Incarnation allows him to cultivate an awareness of God’s presence in all of creation while also maintaining the salvific uniqueness of the Incarnation.
</abstract>

Pantheistic versus Participatory Christologies: A Critical Analysis of Richard Rohr’s <italic>Universal Christ</italic> in Light of Thomas Aquinas’s <italic>Commentary on John</italic>

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

This article broadly considers the commentaries on Job of Thomas Aquinas and Albert the Great as offering a helpful theological alternative to some modern philosophical approaches to the ‘problem of evil’. We seek to show that whereas some modern philosophers understand evil as a problem for the very existence of God, whether and how God can coexist with evil was never a question that evil seriously raised in the minds of Aquinas and Albert. In fact, although the suffering of the just in particular led our medieval Dominicans to wonder about divine providence and our ability to know God in this life, they understood the reality of evil as compelling evidence <italic>for</italic> the existence of God.
</abstract>

Thomas Aquinas and Albertus Magnus on the Problem of Evil: Insights from their Commentaries on the Book of Job

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Avicenna offers a novel definition of “nature” as a power in his <italic>Physics of the Healing.</italic> Some have seen in this redefinition a radical departure from Aristotle. James Weisheipl, for one, rejected Avicenna’s definition as a mistaken interpretation of Aristotle and as a position incompatible with Thomas Aquinas. In Weisheipl’s view, Avicenna reifies form into a kind of motor of the natural being, a conception earlier rejected by Thomas Aquinas in several works. In this study, I offer a Thomistic defense of Avicenna by investigating the definition of nature and its relation to matter and form.
</abstract>

A Thomistic Defense of “Nature” in Avicenna’s Physics

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

The first part of this essay argues that the very structure and ordering of Thomas Aquinas’ <italic>Summa Theologiae</italic> manifests a departure from the typical theological position of his time regarding natural acquired virtues. Resting on a conviction that grace <italic>presupposes</italic> nature, Aquinas uniquely holds that natural virtues perfective of human nature can be acquired prior to grace, which can be elevated and incorporated by grace into the properly Christian life. The second part of this essay offers a case study of the virtue of patience that illustrates the argument of the first part of the paper.
</abstract>

Grace Presupposes Nature: The Structure of the <italic>Summa</italic> and an Illustration by the Virtue of Patience in Light of Christ

Book reviews

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 41 (2023): Issue 1 (October 2023)

Volume 40 (2022): Issue 1 (October 2022)

Volume 39 (2021): Issue 1 (November 2021)

Volume 38 (2020): Issue 1 (June 2020)

Volume 37 (2019): Issue 1 (July 2019)

Volume 36 (2017): Issue 1 (December 2017)

Volume 35 (2016): Issue 1 (December 2016)

Volume 34 (2015): Issue 1 (December 2015)

Volume 33 (2013): Issue 1 (December 2013)

European Journal for the Study of Thomas Aquinas

 The European Journal for the Study of Thomas Aquinas (EJSTA) publishes academic contributions studying the work of Thomas Aquinas. It is a continuation (now open access and online-only, peer reviewed, no fee from the author required) of the Jaarboek of the Thomas Instituut Utrecht (Tilburg University, The Netherlands, published since 1981), and appears annually. The EJSTA is a joint initiative of the Faculty of Theology of Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń (PL), the Saint Thomas Aquinas Institute for Theology and Culture of the Faculty of Theology (ISTAC) of the University of Fribourg (CH), and the aforementioned Thomas Instituut Utrecht (NL). At all three institutions a form of Thomist ressourcement is taking place, with emphasis on the distinctly theological character of Aquinas’ works, including his Biblical commentaries. The EJSTA welcomes all scholarly contributions (written either in English, German, French, Spanish or Italian) that are directly or indirectly related to the study of Thomas Aquinas. Its aim is to disseminate the ongoing research done at its founding institutions as well as to provide a platform for other scholars in the field. Publications in the journal are of high academic quality and either advance or accurately evaluate present debates in the study of Aquinas. EJSTA includes reviews of books relevant to this mission.   You can contact the editorial board at ejsta@uvt.nl.  Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 

European Journal for the Study of Thomas Aquinas

Volume 39 (2021): Issue 1 (November 2021)

Pantheistic versus Participatory Christologies: A Critical Analysis of Richard Rohr’s Universal Christ in Light of Thomas Aquinas’s Commentary on John

Thomas Aquinas and Albertus Magnus on the Problem of Evil: Insights from their Commentaries on the Book of Job

A Thomistic Defense of “Nature” in Avicenna’s Physics

Grace Presupposes Nature: The Structure of the Summa and an Illustration by the Virtue of Patience in Light of Christ

Book reviews

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