Catholic-ometer: 5 of 5
Enjoyability: 4.5 of 5
I really like this book, because the person writing it is Kevin Vost; a Catholic, an intellectual, a Thomist, and a good writer with a decent (if sometimes hit-or-miss) sense of humor. He does seem to think that physical fitness has something to do with eternal salvation (I strongly disagree with him on that, and I suspect Saint Thomas Aquinas and Blessed Pope John XXIII would as well,) but in virtually everything else, he's totally on target, and this book actually made it easier for me to understand the parts of the human mind as defined by Thomistic theology, so it assisted me in my own spiritual journey.
Using the parable of the talents that the master gave to his servants in the gospel, Vost compares them to gifts of the spirit and intellect; the gifts of Understanding, Science, Wisdom, Fortitude, Temperance, Justice, Prudence, Faith, Hope and Love. Of course, when you've read the Summa Theologica, a lot of these descriptions serve mainly to help clarify what Thomas Aquinas meant in the light of our modern circumstances, rather than to really add anything new, and Vost seems to realize this, and accept it, which is just as it should be. He has my compliments for taking this tack.
Furthermore, Vost chooses not to use the word "love," when "charity" will do; something which I like, since "love" has so many definitions, that it's almost meaningless these days. I appreciate his consideration of this, and applaud his choice of words.
If there is a problem with this text, it's that it's arranged mainly as a series of lectures, rather than logical discourses and concluses, the way Saint Thomas himself did it, but this approach does give Vost the chance to exercise his sense of humor, which was much more rarely seen in the writings of the Angelic Doctor.
Though there were slight obstructions to my enjoyment of this book, it is generally enjoyable, and very faithful to the teachings of the church, so I say thumbs up.
No comments:
Post a Comment