December 2018
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14 Reads
This chapter argues for the contemporary relevance of Thomas Aquinas for political theology, though not primarily on the basis of his appeals to natural law. It shows that the chief importance of Aquinas for political theology is his belief that truth is stronger than kings, and his identification of truth with the God of Israel, incarnate in Jesus Christ. First, Thomas is concerned with both logic and metaphysics, seeking clarity of thought and speech to help our thought and speech conform to the order inherent in things. Second, Thomas thinks as a participant in the give and take of a living tradition. Third, Thomas's thought is scriptural. The confrontation between truth and other claimants to the throne of power is expressed perhaps most acutely in the Gospel of John's account of Jesus' appearance before Pilate, the representative of earthly power. Thomas follows Aristotle in claiming that the human being is by nature a “social animal”.