GODS LOVE

ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

GODS LOVE
ACCORDING TO St. THOMAS AQUINAS

A Paper
Submitted to the Marymatha Major Seminary
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Course on Methodology

Cherengaden Dinoy
I Ph., Roll No. 10308

Director
Dr. Panattuparambil Babu

September 2005
Marymatha Major Seminary
Thrissur-680 751

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It is my obligation to express feeling of gratitude for the immense help of my
well-wishers. It is Rev. Fr. Raphael Thattil who gave us the basic knowledge of a
scientific work. So I hereby acknowledge his broadness of mind to patiently make
us aware of the relevance of methodology and the right means of writing scientific
papers. I extend my heart-felt gratitude to Fr. Babu Panattuparambil, who guided us
in this endeavour and gave positive suggestions for improvement. I gratefully
remember the Librarians of Marymatha Major Seminary and of Divine Union
Vocationary who provided me with enough materials for the accomplishment of this
task. I am also grateful to all my confreres at Divine Union Vocationary and to all
the brothers at Marymatha Major Seminary who directly or indirectly extended their
kind services to me.

CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT................................................................................i
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................1
1. BIOGRAPHY OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS.............................................1
2. THE WRITINGS Of ST. THOMAS...........................................................2
3. THE CONCEPT OF LOVE........................................................................2
4. THREE KINDS OF ARGUMENTS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.3
4.1 Ontological Arguments.....................................................................3
4.2 Cosmological Arguments..................................................................3
4.3 Teleological Arguments.....................................................................3
5. OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE EXISTENCE OF GOD..........................4
5.1 The First Objection...........................................................................4
5.2 The Second Objection.......................................................................4
6. PROOFS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.............................................4
6.1 The Argument From The Motion.....................................................4
6.2 The Efficient Cause...........................................................................5
6.3 The Theory of Possible Beings and Necessary Being......................5
6.4 The Theory of Gradation..................................................................5
6.5 The Theory of Guided ness in the Nature........................................6
7. GOD LOVE ACCORDING TO St. THOMAS AQUINAS......................6
7.1 Whether Love Exists in God.............................................................7
7.2 Whether God Loves All Things........................................................7
7.3 Whether God Loves All Things Equally..........................................8
7.4 Whether God Always Loves More the Better Things.....................8
8. GOD OF LOVE AND WILL.......................................................................9
CONCLUSION................................................................................................9
BIBLIOGRAPHY..........................................................................................11

ii

iii

INTRODUCTION
God is a reality than a mystery. My intention through this work is to bring out
the concept of God s love according to St.Thomas Aquinas and also to manifest
love aspect of God as a real aspect in our daily life. For God is love 1 and that love
is a reality that we experience at each moment. St. Thomas Aquinas has explained
this concept of God s love in a simple manner in his famous book Summa
Theologica.
1. BIOGRAPHY OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
St. Thomas was a priest and doctor of the Church. He was the son of the
Landulph, Count of Aquino. He was born toward the end of the year 1226 in Italy.
After completing his studies, in spite of the opposition of his family, he entered in
the Dominican order in Naples in 1243. After the profession at Naples, he studied
at Cologne under the Celebrated St. Albert the Great. 2

In 1248, Thomas

accompanied Albert to the newly established Dominican house of studies at

Cologne, Germany and remained there until 1252. At cologne, Thomas completed
his study and was ordained to the priest-hood.
As a student, his fellow students called him the dumb ox. At the age of
twenty-seven, Thomas was recalled to Paris, to the Dominican convent of St.
Jacques, to lecture on the Scriptures and the Sentences of Peter Lombard. From
1259 to 1269 Thomas was engaged in writing, lecturing, preaching, and academic
administration at various cities in Italy. In 1269, Thomas was sent back to the
University of Paris. After three years, in 1272, Thomas was called back to Naples
to erect a Dominican house of studies and to teach. He died March 7, 1274, at the
Cistercian monastery of Fossanuova between Naples and Rome on his way to the
Second Council of Lyons in southern France. 3
1 John 4:16, Thomas Nelson, The Holy Bible, Bangalore, Thelogical Publications in
India, 1998, p. 241.
2
Hugo Hover, ed., Lives of the Saints, New York, Catholic Book Publication, 1977, p. 49.
3
Edward Gratschs, Aquinas Summa, Bangalore, Theological Publication in India, 1990, p.
xiii.
1

2. THE WRITINGS Of ST. THOMAS

St. Thomas literary was immense. Much of it was the product of his lectures
in the classrooms. His writings are classified into five categories such as His Major
Works, Commentaries, Dispute Questions, His Opuuscula and Latin Poetry.4
His two major works are the Summa Theologica and the Summa Contra
Gentiles. The Summa Theoligica was written between 1265 and 1273 in Paris and
Italy and left unfinished at Thomas death. It was completed by Reginald of
Pipernos, Thomas friend and secretary.5 Summa contra Gentiles is the second
most important work of Thomas. It was written much earlier than the Summa
Theoligica, and intended to explain Christian beliefs to the unbelievers.
He wrote commentaries on books of Bible, both old and New Testaments and
also on the Sentence of Peter Lombard, which was the theological textbook of
Thomas day.6 His Quaestiones Disputatae and Quodibetales were the fruit of
academic disputation or discussions held by Thomas throughout his academic
career.7

His Opusculae or Little Works are brief reactions of Thomas to the

questions, which arose during his teaching career. These writings were mainly
against the secular masters and Averroists at Paris. 8 His Latin Poetry includes
Eucharistic hymns and liturgical pieces and sermons such as the Office for the Feast
of Corpus Christi, which he was commissioned to compose by Pope Urban IV.9
3. THE CONCEPT OF LOVE
Love is nothing than the oblivion of self for others. For Spinoza, love is one
of the affections. He speaks of mans intellectual love to God as one of the many
ways of participation of man in the divine substance. By this he takes love from
its emotional understanding of an ontological realm.

Without the ontological

understanding of love, many degrade love from their studies and serious researches.
Robert A. ODonnell, Hooked on Philosophy, New York, Alba House, 2000, p. 88.
Edward Gratschs, p. xiii.
6
Edward Gratschs, p. xiii.
7
Edward Gratschs, p. xiii.
8
Robert A. ODonnell, p. 89.
9
. Robert A. ODonnell, p. 89.
4
5

Love is being in actuality and love is the moving power of life. 10 Another
understanding of love is from ethical level. In many religions love is said as an
obligation to be fulfilled. In Christianity, Jesus commandment is to love one
another as one loves oneself.11
4. THREE KINDS OF ARGUMENTS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
There are three kinds of arguments for the existence of God on the basis
of their study method and nature.12

They are Ontological, Cosmological and

Teleological arguments.
4.1 Ontological Arguments
Ontological arguments are those that are based on the concept or idea of
God, and claim that a being of this sort could not fail to exist.

Anselm of

Canterbury constructed the most famous of such arguments. According to him

God means, that which has all conceivable perfections; and it is more perfect to
exist really than only mentally; therefore Gods exist really. 13 The most perfect
conceivable being cant lack any conceivable perfection.
4.2 Cosmological Arguments
Cosmological Arguments are based upon some general features of the
universe (the cosmoses). The third way of St. Thomas Aquinas is one of the
examples for this type of arguments. His third proof is based on contingency of the
universe; this is said to require that there must be a necessary being, which is God.
4.3 Teleological Arguments
Teleological are those based on evidence of intelligent design or purpose in
the universe. Thomas fifth way is an instance of this sort of argument. He argues
that in nature we find inorganic objects operating in such a way that they achieve an
Paul Tillich, Love, Power and Justice, New York, Oxford University Press, 1964, p. 4.
John 13:34, Thomas Nelson, p. 108.
12
Ellen T. Charry, ed., Inquiring after God, USA, Blackwell Publishers, 1999, p. 35.
13
Peter Kreeft, ed., A Shorter Summa, San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 1993, p. 56.
10
11

end or purpose. But inorganic objects are without knowledge; how then can they
direct themselves toward as end? Since they cant, we presume that they are
directed by an intelligent being, and this we call God.
5. OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
5.1 The First Objection
The first objection of Thomas is that if one of two contraries be infinite, the
other would be altogether destroyed.

And God means infinite goodness.

If,

therefore God existed, there would be no evil discoverable; but there is evil in the
world. Therefore God doesnt exist.14
5.2 The Second Objection
The second objection of Thomas is that all natural things can be reduced to
one principle, which is nature and all voluntary things can be reduced to one
principle, which is human reason or will. So it is not needed to attribute the cause
of anything on God as reason.

Therefore there is no need to suppose Gods

existence.15
6. PROOFS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
St. Thomas Aquinas in his book Summa Theologica gives us the proofs for
the existence of God. According to him the existence of God can be proved in five
ways.
6.1 The Argument From The Motion
According to this theory, whatever is in motion must be put in motion by
another.16 Anything in process of change is being changed by something else. 17

Paul Helem, ed., Faith and Reason, New York, Oxford University Press, 1999, p. 106.
Paul Helem, p. 106.
16
Peter Kreeft, p. 59.
17
Fergus Kerr, After Aquinas, United Kingdom, Blackwell Publishers, 2002, p. 70.
14
15

If there is no first (un-moved) mover, then there can be no second (moved) movers;
but there are second movers; therefore there is a First Mover-God. 18
6.2 The Efficient Cause
Through the theory of efficient cause, he proves that God is the cause of the
very existence of the universe. If there was no first cause there would be no causes
at all.19 If no First (uncaused) Cause, no second causes; but there are second
causes; therefore there is a First Cause-God.20
6.3 The Theory of Possible Beings and Necessary Being
In nature beings are coming into existence and passing out of existence, i.e.,
contingent beings21 which beings are possible to be and not to be. Therefore a
necessary being22 must exist who brings a contingent being into existence.23 If there
were a time, when no such being existed, then nothing would exist now. For
nothing can bring itself into existence. But now possible beings are generating and
corrupting.24 Therefore there is a necessary being-God, when exists of itself and is
the cause of all things other than it, which are neither generated nor perishable. 25
6.4 The Theory of Gradation
According to this theory, in nature something are found to be more good,
more true, more noble, and so on, and other things less. 26 And these comparisons
are based on one superlative degree. If things are more and less good, something
must be best, and this something is God. Since there is a good and better, there
must be a best, and this best is God.27 As we said, in nature there are gradations in
Peter Kreeft, p. 59.
Fergus Kerr, p. 71.
20
Peter Kreeft, p. 61.
21
A Contingent being is a being which begins to exist at some point in time or which exist
at some subsequent point in time.
22
A Necessary being is a being, which always exist, a being, which never begins to be nor
ever passes out of existence.
23
Robert A. Donnell, p. 32.
24
Peter Kreeft, p. 61.
25
Brian Davies O. P., Aquinas, New York, Continuum, 2002, p. 47.
26
Paul Helem, p. 106.
27
Brain Davies O. P., p. 48.
18
19

the quality of beings. And when many things possesses some property in common,
the one most fully possessing it causes it in the others. 28

Aristotle in his

Metaphysics written that fire, the hottest of all things, causes all other things to be
hot.29 Therefore, there is something that causes in all other things, their being,
good, and whatever perfection they have. For this we call God.30
6.5 The Theory of Guided ness in the Nature
The fifth way is based on the guided ness of nature. In all bodies obeying
natural laws, even when they lack awareness, an ordered ness of action to an end is
observed.31 Whatever lacks intelligence or awareness, cant move toward an end, if
so some being endowed with knowledge and intelligence should direct it.
Everything in nature is directed to its end by something intelligent. 32

For

example, the arrow is shot to its mark by the archer. Therefore some intelligent
being exists by whom all natural things are directed to their end. And this being we
call God.33
7. GOD LOVE ACCORDING TO St. THOMAS AQUINAS
We found and our intellectual is satisfied with the proofs of St. Thomas to
believe that there is a God. Now through his view we are seeking Gods love.
St. Thomas is describing Gods love through four questions and answers in
his famous and classic theological book Summa Theologica. The four questions are
(1) whether love exists in God? (2) Whether He loves all things? (3) Whether He
loves one thing more than another? (4) Whether He loves more the better things?
7.1 Whether Love Exists in God
St. Thomas put forward four objections against the existence of love in God.
The first objection says that love is a passion, in God there are no passions,
Paul Helem, p. 106.
Edward J. Gratschs, p. 9.
30
Paul Helem, p. 106.
31
Paul Helem, p. 106.
32
Fergus Kerr, p. 72.
33
Peter Kreeft, p. 61.
28
29

therefore love is not in God. In second objection he says that love, anger, sorrow
and like passion are naturally divided against one another. But sorrow and anger is
not attributed God, so neither is love attributed to him. In his third objection he
quotes St. Dionysius as love is uniting and binding force. 34 So he objects that
since God is simple, this cant take place in God.
But St. Thomas proofs that love exists in God. Because love is the first
movement of will and of every appetitive faculty. For what exists of itself is
always prior to that which exists through another. 35 The acts of the will and
appetite regard evil. Thus, joy is prior to sorrow love is prior to hate.
In another argument he says, The more universal is naturally prior to which
is less so.36 And he explains that love is universally regarded as good. So love is
naturally the first act of the will and appetite. For love is considered as root and
origin of all the other appetite movements. So in whomsoever there is will and
appetite, there must be also the love and in God there is will for the will of God is
the cause of all things.37 Hence love exists in God.38
7.2 Whether God Loves All Things
St. Thomas firmly believes that God love all things. He proofs this argument
that Gods will is the cause of all things. 39 God wills all things that have existence
or any kind of goodness. And all existing things are good since the existence of a
thing is itself a good. So in every existing thing God wills some good. To love
anything is nothing else than to will good, which manifest Gods love to everything
that exists. But he says that Gods love is not as we love, for our will is not the
cause of the goodness of things.40

Dionysius, Quoted in St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, vol. 1, trans. Dominican
Fathers, America, Fathers of English Dominican Province, p. 113.
35
St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 113
36
St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 113.
37
St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 105.
38
St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 114.
39
St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 105.
40
St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 115.
34

7.3 Whether God Loves All Things Equally

Through this article Aquinas gives explanation for the words of St.
Augustine. He says that God loves all things that He made, and amongst them
rational creatures more, and of these especially those who are members of his only
begotten son; and much more than all, His only Begotten son Himself.41
According to Aquinas to love a thing is to will it good, and it can be in a two
fold way-anything can be loved more or anything can be loved less. In the first way
God doesnt love some things more than others, for he loves all things by an act of
the will. In the second way, we are said to love somebody more than others whom
we will a greater good. In this same way God loves something more than others.
For since Gods love is the cause of goodness in things, as has been said, no one
thing could be better than another, if God didnt will great good for one than for
another!42
7.4 Whether God Always Loves More the Better Things
Through this article St. Thomas proofs that God always loves more the better
things. One of the objection he put forward is that angel is better than a man (yet
you have made them a little lower than angels you have put all things under
their feet).43 But God loved man more than he loved the angels (For it is clear
that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham). 44 Therefore
God does not always love more the better things. St. Thomas answer that God loves
more the better thing. Because when God loves one thing more than another He
wills a greatest good to that thing for Gods will is the cause of goodness in things
and the reason which some things are better than others. So He loves more the
better things.45
In the cause of angels and man, by nature itself angels are better than man.
So God loved man more because the need of a man was greater. And he explains
St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 115.
St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 16.
43
Psalm 8:5-6, Thomas Nelson, p. 577.
44
Hebrews 2:6, Thomas Nelson, p. 218.
45
St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 116.
41
42

this argument comparing that the master of a house may give some costly delicacy
to a sick servant, but he may not give to his son this costly delicacy while he is in
sound health.46
8. GOD OF LOVE AND WILL
When St. Thomas Aquinas says that Gods will is the cause of all goodness, I
would like to say that it is Gods love which is the cause of all things. For the Holy
Spirit never inspired anyone to write that God is will, but that God is love. 47 It is
from this love will emerges. He speaks that there must be will in God since; there
is intellect in Him, which is His own existence. 48 But I would like to say that there
must be will in God, since there is love in Him, which is his core nature. So it is
love which influences the intellectual of God, for His will is caused by intellect and
that intellect is caused by love
The existence of God is love. From this love He wills goodness to being. As
St. Thomas says what exists of itself is always prior to that which exists through
another.49 It is from love, will emerge. Since Gods love is prior than will it is
love, which is His own existence.
CONCLUSION
St. Thomas Aquinas, man of great wisdom, really satisfied human intellect
through his five proofs- the existence of God and also through his works he explains
all the matters under the sun. Concerning Gods love, he explains how love exists
in God, how God loves all things, how God loves all things equally and how God
loves more the better things. It is very clear from the teachings of St Thomas that
there is a God whose synonym is love. Now it is our duty to love God with the
conviction that the love of God is in me to love others as He loves me. And it is His
love that Im still in this world. So let our God be a God of love in whom we trust
and say it is His love that what Im.
St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 116.
1 John 4:16, Thomas Nelson, p. 241.
48
St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 103.
49
St. Thomas Aquinas, p. 113.
46
47

BIBLIOGRAPHY
PRIMARY SOURCES
Books
Aquinas, Thomas. St. SummaTheologica, trans. Fathers of English Dominican
Province. U.S.A., 1981.
Kreeft, Peter. A Shorter Summa. San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 1993.
SECONDARY SOURCES
Books
Charry, Ellen T., ed. Inquiring after God. UK, USA, Blackwell Publishers, 2000.
Chesterlin, G.K. Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Dump Ox. New York, Doubleday Dell
Publishers, 1956.
Davies O. P., Brain. Aquinas. London, New York, Continuum, 2002.
Edward J., Gratsch. Aquinas Summa. Bangalore, Theological Publications in India,
1990.
Helm, Paul, ed. Faith and Reason. New York, Oxford University Press, 1999.
Kachappilly, Kurian. God of Love: Revisited. Bangalore, Dharmaram Publications,
2000.
Kerr, Fergus. After Aquinas. UK, Blackwell Publishers, 2002.
Morin, Dominique. How to Understand God. New York, Crossroad Publishers,
1990.
ODonnell, Robert A. Hocked on Philosophy. New York, Alba House, 1995.
Soble, Alan. The Philosophy of Sex and Love. U.S.A., St. Paul Publications, 1998.

10