21. Beatitude as Vision of God's Divine Essence

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Nature of Beatitude #

• Beatitude (beatitudo) is the perfect and ultimate good of man
• The question asks: Does beatitude consist in the vision of God’s divine essence itself, or only in knowing that God exists?
• This requires understanding the distinction between that it is (quia est) versus what it is (quidditas)

The Proper Object of the Intellect #

• The object of understanding is always the essence of a thing—the what it is
• Intellectual knowledge is perfected when it grasps the essence, not merely existence
• Examples: Socrates in dialogue always asks “what is something?” This is the limit and goal of knowledge
• When we first see an eclipse, we ask “What is this?” (Quid est?)
• The understanding naturally desires to know the essence of causes, especially the first cause

The Problem from Dionysius #

• Objection: Dionysius says through the highest part of understanding, man is joined to God “as to one entirely unknown”
• Resolution: Dionysius speaks of knowledge in via (in this life, on the way), not in patria (in beatitude, in the homeland)
• In beatitude, God is known face-to-face as He is, not entirely unknown
• Dionysius’s apophatic theology applies to earthly knowledge, not to the beatific vision

Thomas’s Main Argument #

Two fundamental conditions for perfect beatitude:

1. Completeness: Man is not perfectly blessed when something remains for him to desire and seek
2. Perfection of Powers: The perfection of any power (potentia) is measured according to the ratio (nature) of its object

Logical Development:

• If the human understanding knows the essence of created effects (e.g., motion, as Aristotle does in Physics III), but knows of God only that He is (through the unmoved mover), it has not attained to God’s essence
• Knowledge of the cause through effects leaves one naturally desiring to know what the cause is
• Therefore, perfect beatitude requires that the understanding arrive at the very essence (substantia) of the first cause
• This union with God as object is the sole constituent of human beatitude

Natural Desire and Wonder (Admiratio) #

• Wonder arises when we know something exists but don’t know what it is
• This wonder motivates inquiry (inquisitio) into causes
• The inquiry does not rest until one arrives at knowing the essence of the cause
• Famous example: Young Thomas in class asking “What is God?"—this is natural wonder
• Wonder is the beginning of philosophy (Aristotle, Metaphysics)

Objection from Divine Perfection #

• Objection: Seeing God’s essence is proper to divine understanding, not to creatures
• Response: The end (God) can be understood in two ways:
  1. The thing itself desired (God) — identical for all
  2. The attainment of that end — varies by nature of the attainer
• Therefore: God’s beatitude = comprehending His essence as it is knowable; Man’s/Angel’s beatitude = seeing without comprehending

Knowing vs. Comprehending #

• Visio (vision): Seeing God as He is
• Comprehensio (comprehension): Knowing something as much as it is knowable
• God alone comprehends Himself; creatures see God but do not comprehend Him
• Analogy: Brother Mark tastes wine better than Berquist; artists perceive color gradations (teal, tope) that ordinary people don’t; Mozart hears musical instruments more acutely—yet all are perceiving, just not as much as perceivable
• We will see God in the degree of clarity to which He predestines us

Key Arguments #

The Main Argument for Vision of Essence #

Premises:

• Perfect beatitude requires nothing remain for one to desire and seek
• The perfection of intellect is measured by its object (the essence of things)
• If intellect knows created effects but not God’s essence, it naturally desires to know what God is

Conclusion:

• Perfect beatitude requires vision of God’s divine essence

Against the Dionysius Objection #

• Dionysius speaks of knowledge in via (en route), not in patria (in homeland)
• The unknowability he mentions pertains to earthly knowledge limitations
• In beatitude, God is known as He is (sicut est), face-to-face—1 John 3:2

How the Natural Desire for God’s Essence is Justified #

• We have a natural desire to know what things are
• God is the first cause of all effects we know
• Therefore, we naturally desire to know what God is
• This natural desire is not opposed to supernatural beatitude but preparatory for it
• Grace perfects nature; it doesn’t contradict nature

Important Definitions #

Beatitudo (Beatitude) #

The perfect and ultimate good of man; consists essentially in the visio of God’s divine essence; includes delectatio (pleasure/delight) as a concomitant, not as the essence

Visio (Vision) #

Direct, face-to-face knowledge of God as He is (sicut est); the proper operation of intellect in beatitude; contrasted with faith

Comprehensio (Comprehension) #

Knowing something as much as it is knowable; God comprehends Himself; creatures see God without comprehending Him

Quidditas (Essence) #

The what it is of a thing; distinguished from mere existence (quia est); the proper object of intellectual knowledge

Via (The Way) #

The state of earthly pilgrimage; knowledge in via is partial and limited

Patria (The Homeland) #

The state of final beatitude; knowledge in patria is direct and face-to-face

Admiratio (Wonder) #

Arises when we know something exists but don’t know what it is; the beginning of philosophy and inquiry

Delectatio (Delight/Pleasure) #

The pleasure that accompanies perfect operation; caused by the appetitive power’s resting in a possessed good; follows upon beatitude but is not its essence

Examples & Illustrations #

The Eclipse Example #

• When first seeing an eclipse: one knows something is happening but asks “What is this?” (Quid est?)
• This wonder motivates inquiry into the cause
• Demonstrates the natural desire to move from that it is to what it is

Wine Tasting #

• Brother Mark can taste wine and correctly identify it; Berquist cannot
• Illustrates that we perceive things but not always as much as they are perceivable
• Analogy: We will see God but not comprehend Him as much as He is knowable

Color Perception #

• Artists perceive fine gradations of color (teal, tope) that ordinary people don’t distinguish
• Shows varying degrees of perception of the same object
• Similarly, different creatures will see God in different degrees of clarity according to predestination

Mozart’s Music #

• When one takes delight (delectatio) in Mozart’s music, one listens more carefully and hears it better
• The pleasure perfects the operation of hearing, not impedes it
• Similarly, the pleasure in beatitude perfects the vision of God

Notable Quotes #

“When he appears, we will be like him, for we’ll see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)

Berquist calls this “the most explicit statement” of what beatification is—a promise of face-to-face knowledge of God.

“Through that which is the highest part of his understanding, man is joined to God as to one entirely unknown.” (Dionysius, Mystical Theology, ch. 1)

Thomas clarifies this refers to knowledge in this life, not in beatitude.

“The attitude is Gaudium de Veritate.” (Augustine)

Joy over the truth—Augustine’s concise capture of the essential nature of beatitude as joyful knowledge.

Questions Addressed #

Q1: Does Dionysius contradict the doctrine of beatific vision? #

A: No. Dionysius speaks of knowledge in via (this life), where God remains unknown. In beatitude (patria), God is known face-to-face as He is.

Q2: Isn’t seeing God’s essence a perfection proper only to God? #

A: The end (God) is the same for all, but the mode differs. God comprehends His essence; creatures see it without comprehending it. Both are beatific, but God’s beatitude exceeds creature’s.

Q3: How can we naturally desire something (vision of God) that exceeds our natural powers? #

A: We naturally desire to know what things are. Since God is the first cause of all effects we know, we naturally desire to know what God is. This natural desire is fulfilled supernaturally through grace, which perfects nature.

Q4: Does this require that the vision be an impeding impossibility? #

A: No. Natural desire for what exceeds natural power is not problematic—desire can be in the imagination or intellect. The gift of beatific vision is supernatural, fulfilling (not contradicting) natural desire.

Q5: What is the difference between the vision of God in beatitude and in faith? #

A: Faith knows God through created effects and revelation; beatitude knows God as He is, directly and face-to-face. Faith is in via; beatific vision is in patria.