Greco-Christian stream·Opera Omnia Sancti Thomae (Complete Works of Thomas Aquinas)·Summa Theologiae·Secunda Secundae·Q121. Piety
Source context
- Theme
- piety as a gift of the Holy Spirit ordering the soul toward right veneration of God and filial duty
- Soul-faculty
- Sentient Soul
Steiner
- GA 91, 1906-08-31Steiner identifies piety as the principle that brings order to unbridled passion, shaping it toward harmony and beauty, and describes it as a structural element missing from Solomon's Temple.
- GA 93, 1904-11-04Steiner distinguishes a higher form of piety being prepared among the sons of wisdom, one capable of developing genuine spiritual enthusiasm rather than remaining conventional devotion.
- GA 150, 1913-12-21Steiner calls for a new piety to arise out of spiritual-scientific thinking — one that does not remain abstract thought but deepens into feeling and intuition.
- GA 218, 1922-11-18Steiner affirms that simple-hearted piety retains a valid path to Christ, while noting that the path of such piety requires new orientation in the present age.
- GA 265a, 1911-12-31Steiner links piety structurally with truth in thought and active virtue as a triad of qualities belonging to cognitive-cultic inner work.
Cross-tradition
- Stoic philosophy (pietas)The Stoic concept of pietas as dutiful right relation to gods, parents, and community provides a pre-Christian structural parallel to Aquinas's treatment of piety as ordered filial reverence toward God and fatherland.
- Hindu bhakti traditionThe bhakti emphasis on devotional surrender and loving veneration directed toward the divine offers cross-tradition congruence with Aquinas's piety as an affective virtue directed to God as father.
Q121. Piety
Article 1
[II-II.q.121.a.1.arg.1] It seems that piety is not a gift. For the gifts differ from the virtues, as stated above (I-II, 68, 1). But piety is a virtue, as stated above (Question 101, Article 3). Therefore piety is not a gift.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.arg.1] Ad primum sic proceditur. 1. Videtur quod pietas non sit donum. Dona enim a virtutibus differunt, ut supra habitum est. Sed pietas est quædam virtus, ut supra dictum est. Ergo pietas non est donum.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.arg.2] Further, the gifts are more excellent than the virtues, above all the moral virtues, as above (I-II, 68, 8). Now among the parts of justice religion is greater than piety. Therefore if any part of justice is to be accounted a gift, it seems that religion should be a gift rather than piety.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.arg.2] 2. Præterea, dona excellentiora sunt virtutibus, maxime moralibus, ut supra habitum est. Sed inter partes justitiæ religio est potior pietate. Ergo si aliqua pars justitiæ debeat poni donum, videtur quod magis religio debeat esse donum quam pietas.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.arg.3] Further, the gifts and their acts remain in heaven, as stated above (I-II, 68, 6). But the act of piety cannot remain in heaven: for Gregory says (Moral. i) that "piety fills the inmost recesses of the heart with works of mercy": and so there will be no piety in heaven since there will be no unhappiness [Cf. 30, 1]. Therefore piety is not a gift.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.arg.3] 3. Præterea, dona manent in patria, et actus donorum, ut supra habitum est. Sed actus pietatis non potest manere in patria: dicit enim Gregorius I Moral., cap. xxxii, §44, col. 547, t. 1, quod « pietas cordis viscera misericordiæ operibus replet; » et sic non erit in patria, ubi nulla erit miseria. Ergo pietas non est donum.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.sc] It is reckoned among the gifts in Isaiah 11:2 [Douay: 'godliness'] ["Pietas," whence our English word "pity," which is the same as mercy.]
[II-II.q.121.a.1.sc] Sed contra est quod Isaiæ, xi, ponitur inter dona.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.co] As stated above (I-II, 68, 1; I-II, 69, 1,3), the gifts of the Holy Ghost are habitual dispositions of the soul, rendering it amenable to the motion of the Holy Ghost. Now the Holy Ghost moves us to this effect among others, of having a filial affection towards God, according to Romans 8:15, "You have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry: Abba (Father)." And since it belongs properly to piety to pay duty and worship to one's father, it follows that piety, whereby, at the Holy Ghost's instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father, is a gift of the Holy Ghost.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.co] Respondeo dicendum, quod, sicut supra dictum est, dona Spiritus sancti sunt quædam habituales animæ dispositiones, quibus est prompte mobilis a Spiritu sancto. Inter cætera autem movet nos Spiritus sanctus ad hoc quod affectum quem-dam filialem habeamus ad Deum, secundum illud Rom., viii, 15: Accepistis spiritum adoptionis filiorum in quo clamamus: Abba, Pater. Et quia ad pietatem propriie pertinet officium et cultum patri exhibere, consequens est quod pietas, secundum quam cultum et officium exhibemus Deo ut patri per instinctum Spiritus sancti, sit Spiritus sancti donum.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.ad.1] The piety that pays duty and worship to a father in the flesh is a virtue: but the piety that is a gift pays this to God as Father.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.ad.1] Ad primum ergo dicendum, quod pietas quæ exhibet patri carnali officium et cultum, est virtus; sed pietas quæ est donum, hoc exhibet Deo ut patri.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.ad.2] To pay worship to God as Creator, as religion does, is more excellent than to pay worship to one's father in the flesh, as the piety that is a virtue does. But to pay worship to God as Father is yet more excellent than to pay worship to God as Creator and Lord. Wherefore religion is greater than the virtue of piety: while the gift of piety is greater than religion.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.ad.2] Ad secundum dicendum, quod exhibere cultum Deo ut creatori, quod facit religio, est excellentius quam exhibere cultum patri carnali, quod facit pietas, quæ est virtus; sed exhibere cultum Deo ut patri, est adhuc excellentius quam exhibere cultum Deo ut creatori et domino. Unde religio est potior pietatis virtute; sed pietas, secundum quod est donum, est potior religione.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.ad.3] As by the virtue of piety man pays duty and worship not only to his father in the flesh, but also to all his kindred on account of their being related to his father so by the gift of piety he pays worship and duty not only to God, but also to all men on account of their relationship to God. Hence it belongs to piety to honor the saints, and not to contradict the Scriptures whether one understands them or not, as Augustine says (De Doctr. Christ. ii). Consequently it also assists those who are in a state of unhappiness. And although this act has no place in heaven, especially after the Day of Judgment, yet piety will exercise its principal act, which is to revere God with filial affection: for it is then above all that this act will be fulfilled, according to Wisdom 5:5, "Behold how they are numbered among the children of God." The saints will also mutually honor one another. Now, however, before the Judgment Day, the saints have pity on those also who are living in this unhappy state.
[II-II.q.121.a.1.ad.3] Ad tertium dicendum, quod, sicut per pietatem, quæ est virtus, exhibet homo officium et cultum non solum patri carnali, sed etiam omnibus sanguine junctis, secundum quod pertinent ad patrem; ita etiam pietas, secundum quod est donum, non solum exhibet cultum et officium Deo, sed etiam omnibus hominibus, in-quantum pertinent ad Deum. Et propter hoc ad ipsam pertinet honorare sanctos, non contradicere Scripturæ sive intellectæ, sive non intellectæ, sicut Augustinus dicit in II lib. De doctr. christ., c. vii, col. 39, t. 3. Ipsa etiam ex consequenti subvenit in miseria constitutis. Et quam-vis iste actus non habeat locum in patria, præcipue post diem judicii, habebit tamen locum præcipuus actus ejus, qui est revereri Deum affectu filiali, quod præcipue tunc erit, secundum illud Sap., v, 5: Ecce quomodo computati sunt inter filios Dei. Erit etiam mutua honoratio sanctorum ad invicem. Nunc autem ante diem judicii miserentur sancti etiam eorum qui in statu hujus miseriæ vivunt.
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