The Science of Theology (Aquinas 101)

“He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers in the divine nature.” (2 Peter 1:4)

Christian theology considers who God is in himself, in his own inner life. The mystery of the Trinity is the primary mystery in Christianity because it concerns who God is and the fact that God has willed to offer us knowledge of himself—even participation in his own divine life by grace.

The Science of Theology (Aquinas 101) - Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P.

❓ Questions you want answered? Make sure to put #AskAFriar in your comment!

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[Cicero]

The concision and quality of these videos have been phenomenal. They avoid the dangers of both misleading oversimplification and inaccessible complexity. I can't think of a better way to introduce people to the most important theologian in Christendom.

[eddielopez]

If Thomistic theology was a science, Pope Pius X wouldn’t have asserted that it cannot be debated.

[biffaozzie]

“...it matters what you think”. Well, I think I’ve seldom heard such a load of claptrap.

[peterwyetzner]

It's something of an indictment that none of the critical comments here, however respectful they may be, are addressed but only the complimentary ones.

[jean-michellavoie]

I hate to nitpick, but "super" (as in "supernatural") is not Greek, it is Latin. The equivalent Greek is "hyper". "Supernatural" in Greek would be something like "hyperphysical".

[EowynPride]

Love the little guy being whisked away by the Holy Spirit and dropped in the Theology tree😂😂❤❤...
We'll just send him an Eagle from The Misty Mountains if he gets stuck there and needs to come down!😁🍻
This is an Awesome series! Blessed be the Lord!

[junevandermark]

If a scientist is asked the question, “Do you believe that the universe was created, ” and the scientist answers, “Yes, ” that is not science. That is religion.

[unknownmovements]

If the claims you make can't be tested... it is not a science. You even end the video acknowledging that it is FAITH that leads you to your conclusions.

[TorianTammas]

So the Egyptian gods' theology is a science, as the greek gods, the Hindu gods, the Sumerian gods, the Akkadian gods, and Voodoo theology. Thank you for providing us at least with 10.000 more sciences as people worship so many different goddesses and gods.

[jean-baptistedupont]

Thank you, Fr. Thomas, for brilliantly explaining and demonstrating how theology is not a science.

[justdata]

I always appreciate people being thoughtful and using the best tools available for what they believe so I have an appreciation for this video but I feel there is disconnect here when you go from calling what you are doing science elevating it from a study or investigation. Science gets it credibility from its painstaking adherence to the natural world and similarly is incapable of saying anything about the unnatural or supernatural world, at least until it verifiably makes its mark on the natural world. However, when that happens one could argue it's now part of the natural world - but that's for the philosophers. That is nature - the observable, verifiable and repeatably so - is the ultimate grounding and any scientific theory that doesn't comport with the natural world gets thrown out so when you start talking about alternate sources of knowledge and that faith is required like was mentioned right at the end, that is certainly studying your chosen subject, your way, but it's not science.

Science, at least how I break it down, has two broad meanings: one is the rigorous processes used to obtain knowledge of nature; the other is the body of knowledge obtained from those processes and this video doesn't really match up with those.

[nagranoth_]

So if you make absolutely ridiculous claims on what science is, you can call a collection of fantasies "a body of knowledge" and lie it's science... ok, not sure how you think being this transparently dishonest will help you, but I fully support you undermining your religion by being so blatant about it.

[ozunoma]

You say that Aquinas asks whether theology can be considered a science like biology, ethics and metaphysics. Where exactly Aquinas compares theology to biology? Surely he does not in the Summa Theologiae, where there is no reference to biology. The latin word "biologia" was coined in the 18th century, Aquinas could not have used it. Are you sure you are not simply mistaken or equivocating?

[bloodmooncomix]

TRINITARIAN: (systematic theology)
This is fascinating! 2:34 🤔

I didn't realize "Doctrine" was the technical word for science in the discipline of "theology systematics!"

But then again, Theology proper was once known as "The Queen Of The Sciences"! (✝️💞🫅)

Actually, now that I think about it, by ways of mondern media, our Lord is giving this current generation of "Elects" a free education in "theology proper" that was created with the sacrifice of blood sweat and tears of the "Elect" that came before us! 🤯

(Sometimes contemplating on the complexity of His grace and mercy are extremely humbling!) 🙏😢

[finbarsullivan]

It is really bugging me that Father claims that the root of "super", as in "supernatural", comes from the Greek for "above", when the Greek for above is ὑπέρ (or huper, from which we get the English prefix 'hyper'), and the Latin word for "above" is... "super."
The two words are probably etymologically related, but, yes, my brain had a hard time focusing on this reflection after that.

[JCATG]

At last! I have been waiting for your videos every single day.

You have engaged every sincere Inquirer of the Christian faith—even me, a Reformed Protestant—in the best way with your aesthetically edited videos and precise explanations.

I watch your videos alongside studying his Summa Theologiae. Keep it coming, please?

God bless!

[servantoftheexpander]

I am a muslim, and i think we should appreciate and cherish one another as we come from the same Abrahamic tradition, that's why i also want to get acquainted with Saint Thomas Aquinas, because his works are really appealing to me. Furthermore, He was also influenced by many islamic thinkers and theologians like imam ghazli and ibn Rusd, which shows his open-mindedness towards knowledge and truth.
As the quote of ibn Rusd goes
Truth doesn't contradict truth.

[God-wyhb]

My brother in Christ, I do not exist.

[midlander]

Religion is not science. And you know that. Stop lying.

[ChrisDragotta]

"we know those things through faith".

So, you admit you are making the whole thing up, sort of like fractional reserve banking.

No wonder money works.