9. God as Subject of Sacred Doctrine

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Subject of Sacred Doctrine #

• God is the proper subject of sacred doctrine (Latin: subiectum)
• Distinction from natural theology (part of first philosophy): natural theology treats God as the end or goal; revealed theology treats God as the very subject
• The subject of a science is like the object to a power or habit (potentia/habitus)
• Just as the sense of sight is distinguished by its object (color), so sciences are distinguished by their subject

The Threefold Structure of Things Ordered to God #

All things treated in sacred doctrine are comprehended under God according to three categories:

1. God himself (God in se)
2. Things ordered to God as beginning (principium) - God as maker/creator
3. Things ordered to God as end (finis) - God as the ultimate goal

This threefold division is most explicit in the Summa Contra Gentiles (Books 1-3) but also structures the Summa Theologiae.

Distinction Between Sacred Doctrine and Sacred Scripture #

• Sacred Doctrine (the Summa Theologiae): primarily treats things; has God as chief subject; more of a theoretical (speculative) science
• Sacred Scripture: primarily treats words (the words of Scripture itself); more properly has the Word made flesh as its subject
• Vatican II teaches that Scripture is chiefly about the Word made flesh (Verbum incarnatum) and prepares for it (in OT) or witnesses to it (in NT)
• The distinction between teaching things vs. teaching words: when teaching doctrine, we teach things; when expounding Scripture, we teach words and their meanings
• Dionysius’s Divine Names occupies a middle position between the two approaches

Examples from Scripture and Tradition #

• The Gospels: Distinguished not merely as books about the Trinity, but specifically as books about the Word made flesh—their divinity/humanity distinction is key
• The Psalms: Contain the whole of sacred doctrine in the form of prayer and praise; their subject can be said to be Christ the Head and Members
• Vatican II on the New Testament: The Gospels have preeminence because they witness to the Word made flesh; the Old Testament prepares the way for the Word made flesh
• Matthew, Mark, Luke against John: First three emphasize human nature; John emphasizes divinity; both natures present in all
• Matthew, Mark, Luke distinguished among themselves: Matthew (kingship), Mark (prophetic role), Luke (priesthood of Christ)

God as Beginning and End in Theological Structure #

• God as principium (maker/mover): Not only efficient cause but encompasses creative causality
• God as finis (end): The ultimate goal to which all things are ordered
• This parallels Aristotle’s teaching that in first philosophy, all things refer back to substance (their subject)
• Example from politics: the polis is the chief subject; government, laws, revolution all refer back to it; yet government and revolution are not themselves the polis

The Unity of Theoretical and Practical in Sacred Doctrine #

• Sacred doctrine transcends the philosophical division between speculative and practical sciences
• Both dimensions are present in the single unified science
• Christ as King encompasses both: he is witness to truth (theoretical aspect) and gives commandments (practical aspect)
• The prophetic role (teaching) may be subsumed under the kingly office

Key Arguments #

Against the Objection that God is Not the Subject #

Objection 1: Every science must presuppose what its subject is, but we cannot know what God is (Damascene: “to say what God is is impossible”)

• Response: We use God’s effects (natural and gracious) in place of a definition. We know what God is not (unmoved mover, simple, infinite, one, unchanging) more than what He is affirmatively
• This is analogous to how philosophy demonstrates truths about causes through their effects, taking the effect in place of the cause’s definition

Objection 2: Scripture treats many things besides God (creatures, human morals), so God cannot be the sole subject

• Response: All other things are comprehended under God as ordered to Him as beginning or end—not as parts of God, accidents of God, or particular kinds of God, but as referred to Him

Clarification of Terminology #

Supponere (to place under/suppose): Literally means “to place under”; the subject underlies the science just as a foundation underlies a building. Parallels Greek ὑποκείμενον (hypokeimenon)

Principium (beginning/principle): When contrasted with finis (end), principium here means the mover or maker, though in Aristotle’s Categories the last meaning of beginning is actually the end (first in intention, first in our goal)

Important Definitions #

Subiectum (Subject) #

That about which a science treats; what underlies all discussions in the science. Determined by what things are referred to the science according to the ratio (formal object/aspect under which things are considered).

Ratio (Formal Object/Aspect) #

The aspect under which all things are treated in a science. In sacred doctrine: things are treated insofar as they are ordered to God, or are God himself.

Principium #

When used in the structure of sacred doctrine: God as the maker, creator, mover of all things; the efficient and creative cause.

Finis #

The end or ultimate goal; God as that to which all things are ordered and directed.

Examples & Illustrations #

From Political Philosophy #

• The polis (city-state) is the chief subject of political philosophy
• Government is not the polis, but governs the polis and refers back to it
• Laws are not the polis, but the government rules the polis by laws
• Revolution is not the polis or government, but is a change of government—still refers ultimately back to the polis
• Aristotle covers this in Politics Books III-VI, moving from forms of government to revolution to institutional governments, but all referring back to the polis

From Aristotle’s Metaphysics #

• Being (to ὄν) is the subject of first philosophy, though being is equivocal
• All categories refer back to substance (οὐσία): quantity is the size of substance, quality is the disposition of substance, generation is the coming-to-be of substance, etc.
• The chief subject is substance, though philosophy treats many things

From Scripture: The Magi #

• Gold → recognition of kingship
• Frankincense → prayer and sacrifice; priestly role
• Myrrh → burial; passion and death; supreme priestly act
• Notable absence: No book or gift recognizing the prophetic/teaching role
• Suggests that the prophetic dimension may be subsumed under kingship (“witness to truth” when Pilate asks if He is a king)

From Christology #

• Christ as King: Commands us (practical) and witnesses to truth (theoretical)
• Christ as Prophet: Teacher, gives doctrine
• Christ as Priest: Offers sacrifice for salvation
• These offices can be seen as three or as two (kingship and priesthood), with the prophetic absorbed into kingship

The Incarnation and Scripture #

• Word made flesh (Verbum incarnatum): The central subject of Scripture
• God’s word takes on human language just as the Word took on human nature
• The Sacraments analogy: “The word comes to the element, becomes a sacrament” (as in Baptism)—similarly, the word of God coming to human speech becomes Scripture communicating divine truth
• This shows the appropriateness of Scripture’s way of speaking to what it speaks of

Notable Quotes #

“Either God alone is wise, or God most of all.” - Aristotle, cited approvingly by Berquist regarding ancient Greek philosophers’ openness to sharing in God’s wisdom

“To say what he is is impossible.” - Damascene, regarding the impossibility of defining God’s essence

“The subject is to a science as an object is to a power or habit.” - Thomas Aquinas, cited by Berquist in explaining how to understand God as subject

“All things are treated in sacred doctrine, under the ratio of God.” - Thomas Aquinas, explaining how things other than God can be comprehended under God as subject

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, beginning and the end.” - Scripture, Apocalypse, cited as most explicit statement of God as beginning and end

“Know that the Lord is God. He made us and we are his. He is our shepherd.” - Psalms, cited as example of the threefold division (God in himself, God as maker, God as shepherd/end)

“No one can really be a Thomist without knowing Thomas’s commentary on the Gospel of St. John.” - Pius XII, cited by Berquist regarding the importance of understanding Thomas’s approach to Scripture

“The word of God, in the sense of sacred scripture, is the word of God made flesh.” - Dionysius, cited regarding how Scripture participates in the mystery of the Incarnation

Questions Addressed #

Can God be the Subject When Scripture Treats Many Things? #

• Question: If sacred doctrine treats creatures, human acts, morals, etc., how can God be its proper subject?
• Resolution: All these things are comprehended under God not as parts or accidents, but as ordered to God either as their beginning (maker) or their end (goal). The formal object (ratio) under which all are treated is their relation to God.

How Does This Relate to the Axiom “Either God Alone is Wise, or God Most of All”? #

• Question: If philosophers reject revealed theology, do they reject wisdom itself?
• Resolution: Yes; by rejecting the opportunity to share in God’s wisdom, modern philosophers who reject theology ultimately must also reject even the wisdom of first philosophy, making their position inconsistent.

What is the Difference Between Sacred Doctrine and Natural Theology? #

• Question: Both treat God; what distinguishes them?
• Resolution: Natural theology (end of first philosophy) treats God as the end or goal of inquiry (sermo de ente, about being). Sacred doctrine treats God as the very subject (sermo de Deo, about God himself), making it more properly theology and giving it superior dignity.

What is the Proper Subject of Sacred Scripture? #

• Question: Is the subject of Scripture God (like the Summa), or something else?
• Resolution: More properly, the subject of Scripture is the Word made flesh (Verbum incarnatum). This is evident from Vatican II’s teaching that the Old Testament prepares for the Word made flesh and the New Testament witnesses to it. The Gospels are distinguished not as books about the Trinity, but according to the humanity/divinity distinction of Christ.

Does Teaching about “Things” vs. “Words” Matter? #

• Question: Is there a real distinction between theology (teaching doctrine/things) and biblical exposition (teaching Scripture/words)?
• Resolution: Yes; there is a meaningful difference. The Summa Theologiae treats things (doctrine) with God as subject. Biblical commentary treats the words of Scripture and unfolds their meaning. Both are necessary, and Dionysius’s Divine Names represents a middle position. But fundamentally, systematic theology (Summa) and scriptural exposition are distinct enterprises.

Pedagogical Notes #

On Vatican II and Scripture #

• Vatican II aligns closely with Thomas’s way of dividing the New Testament
• Thomas divides NT on basis of grace: (1) origin of grace (Gospels), (2) nature of grace (Paul’s epistles), (3) effect of grace as Church (Acts, canonical epistles, Apocalypse)
• This shows how Scripture itself has an internal unity around the Christ-event

On the Problem of the “Two” vs. “Three” #

• Various texts (including papal encyclicals) sometimes speak of Christ’s kingship and priesthood, omitting the prophetic role
• Scripture references “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9) but this seems to omit the teaching function
• Berquist suggests the prophetic/teaching role may be absorbed into kingship (when Christ says “I am a king” and “I give testimony to the truth”, the testimony is part of his kingly office)
• This exemplifies how theological language must maintain precision and unity while accommodating multiple traditional frameworks