Autor: Lonergan, Bernard J.F.

Buch: The Trinune God: Systematics

Titel: The Triune God: Systematics

Stichwort: Divinarum Personarum; Psychologische Analogie; intellektuelle Emanation - Ausschluss anderer Arten von E:, Sein: Potenz oder Akt -> Gott nicht Potenz, also...; Agens - Natur; intellektuelle, willentliche Natur

Kurzinhalt: Since being is divided into potency and act ... With all this clearly understood, it is apparent that every other formality of emanation except the processions of intellectual consciousness is excluded.

Textausschnitt: 779a We proceed to the second part of the minor through complete successive disjunctions in order to exclude every other emanation except intellectual emanation. (Fs)

Since being is divided into potency and act, an emanation is either from potency to act or from act to act. But in God there is no potency, and so a divine procession is from act to act.1 (Fs) (notabene)

But the act is either the same or different, and so the emanation is either from one act to another or from the same act to the same act.2 But a divine procession is not from one act to another, for the Son and the Holy Spirit are the same God, and therefore the same pure act, as God the Father. Therefore, a divine procession is from the same act to the same, in the words of the Council of Nicea: 'God from God, light from light, true God from true God' (DB 54, DS 125, ND 7). (Fs) (notabene)

779b Again, the formality of emanation is either in the manner of an agent or in the manner of a nature; for an agent is the principle of an act in another, whereas a nature is the principle of act in that in which the nature is. But a divine procession is not in the manner of an agent. For, first of all, the Son is not made or created, and the Spirit is not made or created (DB 39, DS 75, ND 16 ). And besides, every emanation in the manner of an agent is based on causality; but nothing is the cause of itself, and therefore an emanation of the same act from the same act cannot be in the manner of an agent. It remains, then, that a divine procession is in the manner of a nature. (Fs) (notabene)

779c Further, a nature is either material or spiritual. But God is in no way material; therefore a divine procession is in the manner of a spiritual nature. (Fs)

Moreover, to the extent that a spiritual nature is not known to us, no likeness is available to us for conceiving the divine processions. Hence, we have to consider a spiritual nature with respect to what is known to us, namely, what consists in intellect and will. Therefore, the divine processions must be conceived in the manner of an intellectual and volitional nature. (Fs) (notabene)

779d Now, not only this last conclusion but also all the preceding ones must be taken into consideration. Hence, we are seeking an analogy from an intellectual and volitional nature neither in its being limited through a conjoint material nature, nor as perfecting itself as an agent, nor as going from potency, whether remote or proximate, to act, nor in that one act emanates from another. (Fs)

781a But a mere accumulation of negations does not suffice. For in that way we should certainly know only what a likeness for conceiving the divine processions is not. But such 'learned ignorance' is not a basis for understanding the mysteries, nor does it progress even one step along the way of synthesis. (Fs) (notabene)

781b Therefore, we must discover that positive formality which is not causal but natural, not in the manner of a material nature but of an intellectual and volitional nature, not about a passage from remote or proximate potency to act, but about act itself. In fact, although on account of the deficiency in our image it is necessary to consider one act emanating from another, we must not even do this except to discover that which by its own intrinsic formality does not require a multiplicity of acts. (Fs) (notabene)

With all this clearly understood, it is apparent that every other formality of emanation except the processions of intellectual consciousness is excluded. (Fs)

Corollary

781c Accordingly, questions about various metaphysical principles regarding either potentiality or action, from which our finite acts of understanding, affirming, or loving proceed, are superfluous in trinitarian theology. For from what we have said they simply do nothing to contribute to a trinitarian analogy that consists entirely in intellectual emanation. For this reason we have put into appendix 1 everything regarding the thought of St Thomas on this subject. (Fs)