Thomism, Palamism, and the Greek Fathers (clip)

Thank you for supporting Scholastic Answers
Thomism, Palamism, and the Greek Fathers

Click the join button above to get all your livestream questions answered.

NEW AQUINAS ACADEMY

FURTHER RESOURCES

SPONSOR

MUSIC

SUPPORT

FOLLOW

WATCH

LISTEN

SHOP

[Thedisciplemike]

Something being intellectually distinct isnt arbitrary. God made our minds to be able to grasp His Light in finite ways. Its not arbitrary that we place distinctions between justice and mercy.

[John-eljv]

@ Christian Wagner: I wonder if you are familiar with the book "Thinking Being" by Eric D. Perl, and if so what is your opinion of it? Is Perl a straight shooter from a Thomistic/Catholic perspective?

[John-eljv]

Excellent remarks. But is your illuminating crystal analogy, while apt for explaining Thomism, equally apt for explaining Palamism, and in particular the peculiar "uncreated energies" aspect of Palamism? It seems to me that Palamism is more aptly compared to Lutheranism. Thus Luther had a mystical experience and then devised a theological system that was entirely built around that perceived revelation, the new theory's cornerstone. In a similar fashion, Palamas evidently perceived, or accepted another's testimony of having perceived the "uncreated light" of God, and then developed an elaborate theology in defense of that experience. In both cases, a theological system devised to defend the truth of an unusual if not strange mystical experience or revelation had the ultimate effect of splitting the Church.

[ChristianApologetix]

Doesn't the prism analogy breakdown because the different colors beaming from the rainbow don't actually exist in multiplicity in reality in the Thomist view, but are only virtually distinct in our intellect? This means that we cannot the know the nature of the thing itself because the multiplicity is grounded on our intellect, and we cannot know it matches up to God because it is simply a created effect.