No Stone Left Unturned
The Single Font of Truth
Our last two posts were explorations of faith, under the guidance of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Today, March 7th, actually marks the anniversary of his death. (In fact, this day, referred to as his “dies natalis” or “birthday” into eternal life, used to be celebrated liturgically as Saint Thomas’ feast day.) So let’s take a moment to reflect on this great teacher of the Christian faith.
One of the titles given to Saint Thomas is “Doctor Communis”—“the Common Doctor.” One reason I find this title fitting is because Saint Thomas took truth to be common.
To understand what I mean, take Saint Thomas’ discussion on why the Apostle Paul could preach with pagan ideas:
Unde Apostolus in pluribus locis recitat dicta gentilium, sicut in II [sic] Corinth., XV, 33: Corrumpunt bonos mores colloquia mala; item Act. XVII, 28: In ipso vivimus, movemur et sumus. Nec propter hoc approbatur tota eorum doctrina, sed eligitur bonum, quia verum a quocumque dicatur, est a Spiritu sancto, et respuitur malum.
As a result, the Apostle in many places quotes the sayings of the gentiles, as in 2 Corinthians 15:33: “Bad conversations spoil good character.” Likewise Acts 17:28: “In him we live, move, and are.” Yet not on account of this fact is the entirety of their teaching regarded acceptable, but rather the good is plucked up (since truth, by whomsoever it is spoken, is from the Holy Spirit), and the evil is spit out.
(The Latin text is from Aquinas’ exposition on Titus 1 found in the Opera Omnia edited by Stanislaus Fretté, vol. 21, Paris: Vivès, 1876, pp. 538ff. Interestingly, a number of older editions of the commentary cite the nonexistent 15th chapter of Second Corinthians. Obviously, they are referring to First Corinthians.)
Saint Thomas was convinced that all truth is God’s truth, a truth gifted to people of all times and places. This conviction was so great that Saint Thomas could dare attempt synthesizing the tremendous and daunting wealth of truth bequeathed to the 13th century. Greek pagans, Muslim and Jewish philosophers, and Christian forebears alike lay before Saint Thomas as precious stones to be turned over in the noble quest for truth.
Truth is truth. Nobody has a monopoly on truth, and anyone can be truth’s mouthpiece. Would that we were so desirous of truth, no matter where it’s from.