According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, following Saint Gregory the Great, acedia or sadness in the face of divine blessings is one of the causes of despair. To the extent that joy in contemplating the truth is a remedy for acedia, knowledge can be considered an instrument at the service of hope. The philosopher Byung-Chul Han characterizes today’s society as a society without hope and appeals to the contemplative life as a necessary counterpoint to recovering the spirit of hope. In this communication, we attempt to delimit the scope and limits of such a proposal in light of the teachings of Aquinas
Since the teachings of St. Thomas, hope as a passion that drives us toward good and away from future evil has taken on fundamental importance in education, especially in the task of parents. This hope presupposes a love of self that guides the person toward their own good. But, in turn, that original love is preceded by another hope: trust in the help of another. The article analyzes the importance of this second form of hope in the education of children, especially those who did not experience being loved in childhood. In the face of structural hopelessness, hope in “the power of another” strengthens their self-esteem, leads them to love, and ultimately guides them to their ultimate good, which culminates in God, the foundation of all education
This article proposes an account of the fundamental role of the theology and philosophy of the Angelic Doctor in the life of the church, drawing on an interpretation of the Motu Proprio Doctor Angelici. It argues that the charism of rational clarity, togheter with the gifts of knowledge and wisdom characterizes Thomas Aquinas’ thought and grounds the enduring mission of guiding the Church’s path, particularly in our time, given the distinctive capacity of his principles to enlighten, order and confirm in truth, and to dispel doubts and refute errors
Hope is a protective factor for mental health, especially when a person goes through difficult situations in life. While it does not resolve the situation, it strengthens the individual by giving them reasons to persevere and make decisions that help them overcome life’s challenges. It is a resilience factor, closely related to what Viktor Frankl proposed with the notion of the meaning of life. The theological psychology of Thomas Aquinas allows for the integration of the human need for meaning with the call to participate in divine life, as Augustine of Hippo expressed when he exclaimed: “My heart is restless until it rests in You, Lord.” Integral psychotherapy cannot separate the need for meaning from participation in divine life, nor be satisfied with a merely pragmatic use of hope in therapeutic progress. Instead, it must understand the transformation that occurs in the person who directs their hope toward the supernatural end to which they have been called: beatitude.
Feminist theory is based on the premise that there is no natural calling to motherhood inscribed in women’s bodies, nor is there a natural instinct that drives them to care for their children. On the contrary, it understands that motherhood and child-rearing are ideological constructs that patriarchy imposes on women’s bodies in order to oppress them. It is crucial to understand how feminism has argued both positions, as they are key to many of its demands, especially the right to contraception and abortion
