Greco-Christian stream·Opera Omnia Sancti Thomae (Complete Works of Thomas Aquinas)·Summa Theologiae·Prima Pars·Q24. The book of life
Source context
- Theme
- divine foreknowledge of the elect and the metaphysical status of the book of life in God's predestinating intellect
- Soul-faculty
- Consciousness Soul
Steiner
not engaged in the GA corpus
Cross-tradition
- Jewish mysticism / KabbalahThe sefer ha-chayyim (book of life) in Kabbalistic and liturgical tradition designates the divine register of souls judged at Rosh Hashanah, structurally parallel to Aquinas's treatment of the book of life as God's eternal knowledge of those predestined to eternal life.
- Neoplatonism (Plotinus)Plotinus's concept of the Nous as containing the intelligible forms of all souls provides a cross-tradition congruence with Aquinas's identification of the book of life as the divine intellect's eternal inscription of the predestined.
- Augustinian predestination theologyAugustine's doctrine that God's foreknowledge constitutes the eternal inscription of the elect underlies Aquinas's formulation in Q24, and the two positions share the structural claim that divine knowledge is the ontological ground of creaturely election.
Q24. The book of life
Article 3
[I.q.24.a.3.arg.1] It seems that no one may be blotted out of the book of life. For Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xx, 15): "God's foreknowledge, which cannot be deceived, is the book of life." But nothing can be taken away from the foreknowledge of God, nor from predestination. Therefore neither can anyone be blotted out from the book of life.
[I.q.24.a.3.arg.1] Ad tertium sic proceditur. 1. Videtur quod nullus deleatur de libro vitæ. Dicit enim Augustinus, De civ. Dei., lib. XX, cap. xv, col. 681, t. 7, quod « praescientia Dei quae non potest falli, liber vita est. » Sed a praescientia Dei non potest aliquid subtrahi, similiter neque a praedestinatione. Ergo nec de libro vitæ potest aliquid deleri.
[I.q.24.a.3.arg.2] Further, whatever is in a thing is in it according to the disposition of that thing. But the book of life is something eternal and immutable. Therefore whatsoever is written therein, is there not in a temporary way, but immovably, and indelibly.
[I.q.24.a.3.arg.2] 2. Præterea, quidquid est in aliquo, est in eo per modum ejus in quo est. Sed liber vita est quid æternum et immutabile. Ergo quidquid est in eo, est ibi non temporaliter, sed immobiliter et indelebiliter.
[I.q.24.a.3.arg.3] Further, blotting out is the contrary to inscription. But nobody can be written a second time in the book of life. Neither therefore can he be blotted out.
[I.q.24.a.3.arg.3] 3. Præterea, deletio scripturæ oppositur. Sed aliquis non potest de novo scribi in libro vitæ. Ergo neque inde deleri potest.
[I.q.24.a.3.sc] It is said, "Let them be blotted out from the book of the living" (Psalm 68:29).
[I.q.24.a.3.sc] Sed contra est quod dicitur in psalmo lxviii, 29: Deleantur de libro viventium.
[I.q.24.a.3.co] Some have said that none could be blotted out of the book of life as a matter of fact, but only in the opinion of men. For it is customary in the Scriptures to say that something is done when it becomes known. Thus some are said to be written in the book of life, inasmuch as men think they are written therein, on account of the present righteousness they see in them; but when it becomes evident, either in this world or in the next, that they have fallen from that state of righteousness, they are then said to be blotted out. And thus a gloss explains the passage: "Let them be blotted out of the book of the living." But because not to be blotted out of the book of life is placed among the rewards of the just, according to the text, "He that shall overcome, shall thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life" (Apocalypse 3:5) (and what is promised to holy men, is not merely something in the opinion of men), it can therefore be said that to be blotted out, and not blotted out, of the book of life is not only to be referred to the opinion of man, but to the reality of the fact. For the book of life is the inscription of those ordained to eternal life, to which one is directed from two sources; namely, from predestination, which direction never fails, and from grace; for whoever has grace, by this very fact becomes fitted for eternal life. This direction fails sometimes; because some are directed by possessing grace, to obtain eternal life, yet they fail to obtain it through mortal sin. Therefore those who are ordained to possess eternal life through divine predestination are written down in the book of life simply, because they are written therein to have eternal life in reality; such are never blotted out from the book of life. Those, however, who are ordained to eternal life, not through divine predestination, but through grace, are said to be written in the book of life not simply, but relatively, for they are written therein not to have eternal life in itself, but in its cause only. Yet though these latter can be said to be blotted out of the book of life, this blotting out must not be referred to God, as if God foreknew a thing, and afterwards knew it not; but to the thing known, namely, because God knows one is first ordained to eternal life, and afterwards not ordained when he falls from grace.
[I.q.24.a.3.co] Respondeo dicendum, quod quidam dicunt quod de libro vitæ nullus potest deleri secundum rei veritatem, potest tamen aliquis deleri secundum opinionem hominum. Est enim consuetum in Scripturis ut aliquid dicatur fieri, quando innotescit; et secundum hoc aliqui dicuntur esse scripti in libro vitæ, in quantum homines opinantur eos ibi scriptos propter præsentem justitiam quam in eis vident; sed quando apparet vel in hoc sæculo vel in futuro, quod ab hac justitia exciderunt dicuntur inde deleri. Et sic etiam exponitur in Glossa ordinaria, col. 950, t. 1, deletio talis, super illud psalm. lxviii: Deleantur de libro viventium. Sed quia non deleri de libro vitæ ponitur inter præmia justorum, secundum illud Apoc., Ⅲ, 5: Qui vicerit, sic vestietur vestimentis albis, et non delebo nomen ejus de libro vitæ, quod autem sanctis repromittitur, non est solum in hominum opinione, potest dici quod deleri vel non deleri de libro vitæ, non solum ad opinionem hominum referendum est, sed etiam quantum ad rem. Est enim liber vitae conscriptio ordinatorum in vitam æternam, ad quam ordinatur aliquis ex duobus, scilicet ex prædestinatione divina, et hæc ordinatio nunquam deficit, et ex gratia. Quicumque enim gratiam habet, ex hoc ipso est dignus vita æterna; et hæc ordinatio deficit interdum, quia aliqui ordinati sunt ex gratia habita ad habendum vitam æternam, a qua tamen deficiunt per peccatum mortale. Illi igitur qui sunt ordinati ad habendum vitam æternam ex prædestinatione divina, sunt simpliciter scripti in libro vitæ, quia sunt ibi scripti ut habituri vitam æternam in seipsa; et isti nunquam delentur de libro vitæ. Sed illi qui sunt ordinati ad habendam vitam æternam non ex prædestinatione divina, sed solum ex gratia, dicuntur esse scripti in libro vitæ non simpliciter, sed secundum quid; quia sunt ibi scripti ut habituri vitam æternam non in seipsa, sed in sua causa; et tales possunt deleri de libro vitæ; ut deletio non referatur ad notitiam Dei, quasi Deus aliquid præsciat, postea nesciat; sed ad rem scitam, quia scilicet Deus scit aliquem prius ordinari in vitam æternam, et postea non ordinari, cum deficit a gratia.
[I.q.24.a.3.ad.1] The act of blotting out does not refer to the book of life as regards God's foreknowledge, as if in God there were any change; but as regards things foreknown, which can change.
[I.q.24.a.3.ad.1] Ad primum ergo dicendum, quod deletio, ut dictum est, non refertur ad librum vitæ ex parte præscientia, quasi in Deo sit aliqua mutabilitas, sed ex parte præscitorum, quae sunt mutabilia. Ita cod. Alcan. allique cum Nicolaï; edit. Rom. et Patav.: « vita gloriosa. » Sic cod.; in edit.: « quod sint habituri. » Nicolaï: « aliquis. »
[I.q.24.a.3.ad.2] Although things are immutably in God, yet in themselves they are subject to change. To this it is that the blotting out of the book of life refers.
[I.q.24.a.3.ad.2] Ad secundum dicendum, quod licet res in Deo sint immutabiliter, tamen in seipsis mutabiles sunt; et ad hoc pertinet deletio libri vitæ.
[I.q.24.a.3.ad.3] The way in which one is said to be blotted out of the book of life is that in which one is said to be written therein anew; either in the opinion of men, or because he begins again to have relation towards eternal life through grace; which also is included in the knowledge of God, although not anew.
The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas AquinasSecond and Revised Edition, 1920Literally translated by Fathers of the English Dominican ProvinceOnline Edition Copyright © 2009 by Kevin Knight Nihil Obstat. F. Innocentius Apap, O.P., S.T.M., Censor. Theol.Imprimatur. Edus. Canonicus Surmont, Vicarius Generalis. Westmonasterii.APPROBATIO ORDINISNihil Obstat. F. Raphael Moss, O.P., S.T.L. and F. Leo Moore, O.P., S.T.L.Imprimatur. F. Beda Jarrett, O.P., S.T.L., A.M., Prior Provincialis AngliæMARIÆ IMMACULATÆ - SEDI SAPIENTIÆ
[I.q.24.a.3.ad.3] Ad tertium dicendum, quod eo modo quo aliquis dicitur deleri de libro vitæ, potest dici quod ibi scribatur de novo vel secundum opinionem hominum, vel secundum quod de novo incipit habere ordinem ad vitam aeternam per gratiam; quod etiam sub divina notitia comprehenditur, licet non de novo.
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