GYANADHARA

Dominican Institute of Philosophy

_________________________________________

FAITH ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

A Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

for the Course on Methodology

JOSHY B VARGHESE

Moderator

MELWIN NORONHA, O.P.

GOA

JANUARY 2020
 CONTENTS

GENERAL INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………..1

CHAPTER I

VIRTUE IN GENERAL

1.1 Virtues in General……………………………………………………………………..2

1.1.1 Theological Virtues………………………………………………………………..2

CHAPTER II

FAITH

2.1 Faith…………………………………………………………………………………...4

2.2 The Object of Faith……………………………………………………………………4

2.3 The Inner Act of Faith………………………………………………………………....6

2.4 The Outward Act of Faith……………………………………………………………..8

2.5 The Virtue of Faith…………………………………………………………………….9

2.6 On Those having Faith……………………………………………………………….12

2.7 The Cause of Faith…………………………………………………………………...12

2.8 Effects of Faith……………………………………………………………………….13

GENERAL CONCLUSION…………………………………………………….15

BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………….16
 GENERAL INTRODUCTION

The doctrine of the virtues is central to St. Thomas’s moral theology and moral
philosophy. It also has a significant importance for understanding his jurisprudence. The
doctrine was developed by Plato, the Stoics, and especially Aristotle (in his great ethical
work, The Nicomachean Ethics). St Thomas adopted, expanded and refined the doctrine.

Faith is a theological virtue and hence in the first chapter I have started with the
general understanding of the virtue following which I have moved on to definition of the
Intellectual Virtues from Christian perspective.

The second chapter deals exclusively of Faith. The chapter begins with definition
of Faith. Thomas Aquinas’s view on faith is dealt with. The topics we would be looking
into are: The object, the inner act and the outward act of Faith. Further, dimensions of
the virtue of Faith, on those having Faith, the cause and lastly the effects of Faith in
accordance with Aquinas will also be highlighted.
 CHAPTER ONE
VIRTUE IN GENERAL
1.1 VIRTUES IN GENERAL

A virtue is defined as an interior disposition or skill (a habit) by which a person

can do the right things, correctly, easily and with pleasure.1 Some virtues are innate, some
infused and some are acquired. Virtues are distinguished and specified by the objects
with which they deal.

Human virtues are firm attitudes, stable dispositions, habitual perfections of

intellect and will that govern our actions, order our passions and guide our conduct
according to reason and faith.2 The virtues help an individual to lead a morally good life.
A virtuous person chooses to perform not only good acts but also give his best for the
cause.

A virtue is thus a perfection of an active power, a natural inclination or desire of

man.3 For the virtue of Justice is a perfection of a man’s relationship with others in regard
to goods and services.

1.1.1 THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES

The human virtues have foundation in the theological virtues. These virtues are so
called because they relate man directly to God. The Theological virtues animate Christian
moral activity and give it its special character. They are the pledge of the presence and
action of the Holy Spirit in the faculties of the human being. 4 There are three theological
virtues: faith, hope and charity.

Faith, by which man, trusting in God, believes what God has revealed. The
second is Hope, by which trusting in God, we expect salvation and the means to reach it.
The third is Love, by which we love God for his own sake and all others for God’s sake.
The good towards which the theological virtues enable us to move is thus expressed by

1
R. J. Henle, ed., The Treatise On Law (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1993), 67.
2
Catechism of the Catholic Church (Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, 1994), no. 1804.
3
R. J. Henle, ed., The Treatise On Law (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1993), 67.
4
Catechism of the Catholic Church (Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, 1994), no. 1813.
Christ in Lk 10:27, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, with all your strength, with all your mind; and your neigbour as yourself”.

It is through these theological virtues, that man reaches his complete fulfillment
and his ultimate happiness.5 Now let us see of the virtue of faith.

CHAPTER TWO

5
R. J. Henle, ed., The Treatise On Law (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1993), 68.
 FAITH
2.1 FAITH

Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he
has said and revealed to us, and that the Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he
is truth itself.6

2.2 THE OBJECT OF FAITH

The object of faith is not only matters related to Godhead, but the object of faith
includes other matters related to Christ’s humanity, sacraments and all those matters
those terminate in God too. Additionally we assent to matters on the basis of God’s
truthfulness.7 Further Charity also involves both love of God and neigbour. But Faith’s
objective is not God alone.8

The object of faith is reality and not composite. Further, the objects of faith are
not propositions but realities and the best example for this is The Creed. Moreover, faith
gives way to vision and this vision is of non-composite nature. For these reasons, the
object of faith does not appear to be anything in the form of proposition.9

The essence of virtue is tilted towards good. Faith is not one which has falsity.
God is infallible and hence the object of faith can never be false. A believer’s faith is not
around another person’s view but on the truth of Christ present in the consecrated host.10

The object of faith is something seen. For example, St Thomas saw the Lord,
Thomas saw one thing and believed something else. The matters of faith are looked in
two ways, firstly one as one and secondly signs of belief. Further, light is something
which makes the things seen and Faith is the spiritual light. Additionally, every sensing is

6
Catechism of the Catholich Church (Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, 1994), no.
1814.
7
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 1, a. 1.
8
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 1, a. 1.
9
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 1, a. 2.
10
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 1, a. 3.
called seeing. Faith is of things heard, for faith comes by hearing. 11Hearing of the words,
expressing things of faith and not of realities matters in faith.

Things of faith are things known.12 Those who believe have knowledge of faith of
things not by having proofs of them but rather through eyes of faith they believe. Further,
the matters of faith can become matters of certainty as philosophers have given proof of
some of the contents of faith. For example, God exists and that he is one.13

Faith is the substance of things to be hoped for. Faith concerns with realities we
hope to contemplate in heaven. Therefore, matters of faith are those pointing towards life
eternal. Two ways of looking at the formal objective of faith, which are (a) outlook of the
thing believed in and (b) outlook of one believing. 14 No one is forced to believe but rather
out of his own will. Faith becomes a way of portraying the finality of a thing.

According to Aquinas, Christ is the only way through which people can attain
hope. When they went away from Christ, less clear their view became of attaining hope.

Faith is a gift from God15 rather than human intervention. Since God is not subject
to any lack of knowledge. Therefore, what is to be believed must have been complete and
it didn’t grow with time. Further, there is difference between science and grace. In the
field of science, one who gives knowledge gains new knowledge as the time goes on but
in the field of faith, the learner progresses slowly according to his capacity.

When the faith is passed on by those who had fuller knowledge of faith, there
grace works. A naturally prior more complete being is needed as an efficient cause for the
imperfect to be brought out to actualization. Agent and matter are necessary for coming
to be in nature and God is the agent cause and man is the material cause receiving divine
action in faith. Fathers of the Church were the teachers of faith who communicated of
faith they had. With the coming of Christ, grace took complete shape and those who were
closer to him had fuller knowledge of the mysteries of faith.
11
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 1, a. 4.
12
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II, q. 1, a. 5.
13
Thomas Aquinas, Light of Faith: The Compendium of Theology(Manchester: Sophia Institute
Press, 1993), 5.
14
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 1, a. 6.
15
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 1, a. 7.
 The articles of faith are not properly formulated. 16 Many of the truths about God
we hold on which the philosophers couldn’t get a hold on. Some of these examples are
God’s providence, omnipotence and sole right of adoration. Further, Trinitarian God, the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is one with respect to unity of essence. The
knowledge of the Son is contained in the knowledge of the Father with Holy Spirit as the
bridge between the Son and the Father. The Son and the Holy Spirit were sent for man’s
sanctification whereas Father is never sent. The sanctification of being happens through
grace and his fulfillment through glory which comes through the gift of charity derived
from the Holy Spirit and the gift of wisdom through the Son. The Eucharist is the
sacrament offering grace of sanctification.17

Truth of faith is held in the Sacred Scripture.18 Although studies to find truth from
Scripture becomes tough, symbols are used which is drawn from Scripture in order for us
to understand. And also, we know all the creeds teach the same truth, wherein some
explain clearly while in others meaning is found within the creed itself. Thomas says it is
through the faith in the Holy Spirit that the Church is sanctified that is the meaning of “in
the holy Catholic Church” in the creed.

The truth of faith is sufficient in the teachings of Christ and Apostles but since
due to wicked people corrupting the apostolic teaching, declaration of faith is needed
time to time.19

2.3 THE INNER ACT OF FAITH

“To believe” does not mean to ponder with assent. Pondering is not part of the
act of faith. Faith doesn’t involve a search by reason to prove what is believed. But it
includes enquiry into things that leads to belief.20 Assent is the act of mind in so far as
mind is brought to its decision by the will and so “to believe” doesn’t mean to think with
assent.

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 1, a. 8.

16

Edward Sillem, Ways of Thinking about God: Thomas Aquinas and Some Recent
17

Problems(London: Dartum, Logman & Todd, 1961), 121.

18
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 1, a. 9.
19
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 1, a. 10.
20
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 2, a. 1.
 Faith is a virtue and virtue is defined as “good operative habit” and hence faith is
a habit and faith has only one act.21

There are two truths. Firstly which the reason can attain and secondly that goes
beyond natural power of reason.22 Both these truths are kept by God before people.
Thomas says man’s nature depends on a higher nature and for his fulfillment natural
knowledge is not enough. Therefore, a certain supernatural knowledge is needed. At
many points Faith is at a higher level compared to natural intelligence.

Aquinas states no one is bound to believe explicitly in anything as no one is held

to what is beyond his power. The explanation given by Aquinas is that we are bound to
things that aren’t within our power and the best example is loving God and loving
neighbor. Here we need grace. Further, faith and charity direct us towards God. 23 The
willingness to exercise these virtues of faith and charity is enough.

Goodness in faith consists in being in the form of obedience. 24 We need to have

the willingness to believe what God might propose without having explicit faith in
anything.

There is a uniform obligation for all an explicit faith and this explicitness in faith
is needed for salvation. Additionally, the uneducated are not cross- examined in matters
of faith and they are not to be blamed as long as they don’t cling to the wrong doctrine on
the aspects of faith.25 Further, the knowledge of men is not rule of faith but it is God’s
truthfulness. If any authority falls away from this rule, it doesn’t harm the faith of the
simple who think that the superiors have the right faith.

Explicit faith in the mysteries of Christ is not a matter of salvation for all. Faith
becomes explicit through the divine revelation coming to men through the angels. Even
the angels didn’t know the mystery of Incarnation as Ps 23:13 would say “Who is the
king of glory?”. Further, even John the Baptist didn’t seem to have known the mystery of
21
Ibid.
22
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 2, a. 3.
23
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 2, a. 5.
24
John Y. B. Hood, The Essential Aquinas: Writings in Philosophy, Religion and Society (London:
Praeger Publishers, 2002), 142.
25
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 2, a. 6.
Christ explicitly as in 1Cor 4:16 it is written “Art thou he that is to come or look we for
another?”26

Explicit faith in the mysteries of Trinity is also not a matter of salvation for all.
Before Christ’s coming, faith in Trinity was hidden in leader’s faith and so there was no
explicit faith in Trinity. Further, to believe explicitly in God is that which is the object of
beatitude which is God’s absolute goodness and it is thought of without distinction of
persons. Therefore, there becomes no need of explicit faith in Trinity.27

Belief does not seem to be meritorious. Faith comes before charity and charity is
the source of meriting. Moreover, faith is midway between having an opinion and having
science and both opinion and faith are not meritorious and hence belief to does not
become meritorious. Further, anyone assenting to some truth either has a cause
motivating him or don’t have cause for truth. In the first, belief doesn’t seem to be
meritorious as he is no longer free to believe or not to believe. In the latter, belief is
irresponsible.28

2.4 THE OUTWARD ACT OF FAITH

The outward is related to the confession of faith. Here two questions arise: first
whether confession is the act of faith and the second is whether confession is the matter
of salvation.

To the first question on whether confession of faith is the act of faith, Aquinas
says Confession does not seem to be an act proper to faith. 29 Confession is a part of the
virtue of prudence and also an act cannot belong to different virtues. Further, a person
may profess his faith out of fear or embarrassment. Therefore, it requires the virtue of
courage to profess the faith. Moreover, the inner faith, working through love, causes all
outward, virtuous acts through meditation of other virtues but as commanding, not as

26
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 2, a. 7.
27
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 2, a. 8.
28
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 2, a. 9.
29
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 3, a. 1.
itself exercising these acts. When the aspect of confession is taken faith causes its own
act without meditation of any other virtue.30

To the second article of whether confessing the faith is necessary for salvation,
Aquinas says Confessing faith does not appear to be necessary for salvation. What is
sufficient is that a person achieves the end of the virtue as part of salvation from any
virtue. End of faith is subordinated to charity, which is the love of God and neighbor. 31As
a result this charity calls for a person to openly profess his faith. Secondly, when a person
when he makes an outward witness of his faith, he makes his faith known to others. But
this outward witnessing of one’s faith is required only in the case of those instructions
others in faith and for an ordinary man the confession of faith does not bound on him.
Further, confessing of faith may lead to disturbing situations of provocation of
unbelievers.32

2.5 THE VIRTUE OF FAITH

The definition of Faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of
things that appear not, seems inexact. Faith is theological virtue; it is a quality rather than
being a substance. Also, the objects of different virtues are different and in faith things to
be hoped for are the object of hope and the object of faith should not be included in the
definition of faith. Further, charity being a form of faith, faith is completed more by
charity than by hope. Hence things to be loved needs to enter the definition of faith rather
than things to be hoped for.33

The intellect does not seem to be the subject of faith. Augustine says faith has its
place in the will of the believer which means will is a power different from the intellect.
Furthermore, the mind joins to matters of belief by will’s command. Here the aspect of
will essentially needed to be under obedience. Along with will to be ready to obey the
correct disposition of mind to is required to give in to will’s command.34

30
Ibid.
31
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 3, a. 2.
32
Ibid.
33
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 4, a. 1.
34
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 4, a. 2.
 Charity doesn’t seem to be the form of faith. Charity and faith are opposite
members of a division like species under a genus. Further, faith is in the intellect but
charity is in the will. Charity just informs the act of faith. Further, a form is a principle of
something. The principle of believing on the part of the will seems to be obedience rather
than charity. Hence Obedience and not charity is the form of faith.35

Unformed faith does not become formed, nor formed unformed. Unformed faith
is not complete while formed faith is complete one. When the complete faith comes to be
the formless faith goes away. So when vision of God comes, faith will be no more,
because it is of the essence of faith to be of things that appear not. Lack of form is not
essence of faith but it is incidental. Moreover, unformed faith is dead as said in the
scriptures “Faith without works is dead” (Js 2:17). Further, soul is the essence of living
being and the dead thing cannot become living. And also, faith is an accident and
accidents aren’t subjected to change.36 For these reasons Faith cannot be at one time
formed and at the other time unformed one.

Faith is apparently not a virtue. Aim of virtue is the good while Aristotle says
virtue is that makes the possessor good. Aim of faith is truth and truth is the good of the
intellect. The Mind is settled through faith on truth, faith as good as its end. But the good
becomes object of will, when faith is informed by charity. Further, the infused virtue is
superior to acquired virtue.37 Faith is an acquired virtue and acquired virtue is based on
probability leading to be false at times. The infused virtue is obtained from God alone,
which is infallible. Faith is listed among the charisms and among the fruits of the Holy
Spirit but in actuality virtues are different from charisms and fruits of the Holy Spirit. 38
Hence we arrive at the conclusion that faith is apparently not a virtue.

There does not seem to be but only one faith. Faith is considered as a gift of God
in Ephesians and same applies for Wisdom and Knowledge in Isaiah. Wisdom is eternal
while Knowledge is temporal. Hence there appears a faith with respect to Wisdom and
another faith related with knowledge, so faith appears to be divided into parts. Further,

35
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 4, a. 3.
36
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 4, a. 4.
37
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 4, a. 5.
38
Ibid.
faith is shared by all Christians and the one accident cannot exist in many subjects, the
one faith cannot exist in all believers.39

Faith does not seem to be the first of all virtues. Firstly, Faith is built on the
foundation of courage and foundation is built first before any other thing. Secondly, Hope
gives way for the faith and hope is a virtue. Hope enables a person to persevere in faith.
Thirdly, Obedience influences believer’s mind towards assent to things of faith. So
Obedience precedes faith. Fourthly, charity also comes before faith. To the foundation
other parts of structure needs to be connected and this connection in spiritual building
exists through charity. Fifthly, cause precedes effect and humans when they judge the
precedence is given to act of will empowered by charity rather than the act of intellect
empowered by faith. Here Charity is prior to faith.40

But faith is the substance of things to be hoped for and hence it becomes the first
of all virtues.41 The reply that Aquinas gives is that one thing takes precedence before the
other in either through nature or through incidentally. Through nature faith is the first of
all virtues. Some virtues like courage, humility may precede incidentally.42

Faith does not appear to have a greater certainty than science and the other
intellectual virtues. The understanding, knowledge and wisdom helps to be more certain
compared to faith. In faith one may experience doubts in many cases especially when it
comes to one’s life and his/her experience. The doubt begins with us and not from the
cause of faith and so the faith cannot be made fully understandable. Another aspect is that
seeing becomes more sure than hearing. Understanding and knowledge involves mental
seeing while faith just comes from hearing. How can a person be certain of unfailing God
when he himself can’t see with his own fallible reason? Further, Faith leads to
understanding and according to Augustine faith is made strong by science. Hence
understanding and science bring a greater certainty than faith.43

39
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 4, a. 6.
40
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 4, a. 7.
41
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 4, a. 7, obj. 1.
42
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 4, a. 7, ad. 1.
43
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 4, a. 8.
 But Paul in his writings says “When you had received of us the word of the
hearing (of faith), you received it not as the word of men, but, as it is indeed, the word of
God. Nothing is surer than the word of God not even science or any other knowing.44

Aquinas replies that among intellectual virtues, two of them namely prudence and
art deal with contingency. But faith overcomes this contingency dealing with eternal
matters. The other three, wisdom, science and understanding deal with necessity and they
are both intellectual virtues as well as Gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the case of these three
virtues considered as intellectual virtues they are surpassed by faith. However, the other
aspect of certainty depends on its possessor, on human reasoning and here faith is less
certain with the three virtues as these intellectual virtues can be grasped by human mind.
Taken as gifts in the present life, Understanding, Science and Wisdom relate to faith as a
principle they presuppose. For this reason, faith is more certain than the intellectual
virtues.45

2.6 ON THOSE HAVING FAITH

Faith cannot be greater in one person than in another. In Faith all that is of Faith is
believed. To fall short in one point is to lose faith entirely. One who is prepared to
believe all explicitly even if his belief isn’t explicit has the habit of faith. Further, faith
doesn’t hold any degrees as a person who has faith shows that that individual holds fast to
the divine truths. The only difference is that some commit themselves to God than the
others. Moreover, faith is associated with the gift of grace which is not equal in all and
hence cannot be compared with each other.46 For these reasons, faith cannot be said to be
greater in one person than in the other.

2.7 THE CAUSE OF FAITH

Faith is not something infused by God. Augustine says science nourishes, protects
and strengthens faith in us. So anything obtained through science seems to be acquired

44
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 4, a. 8, obj. 1.
45
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 4, a. 8, ad. 1.
46
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 5, a. 4.
rather than infused. But the chief cause of faith is one that brings interiorly assent.
Additionally, anything gained by hearing and seeing is acquired and “what is faith comes
from what is heard” (Rom. 10: 17). Belief is a matter of the believer’s will and this will
needs to be made ready by God through his grace.47

There are two prerequisites of faith, one is the aspect of what is to be believed and
God becomes the cause of faith. The reason for God becoming the cause of faith is that
faith aspect is known only by God’s revelation to man which surpassed human
understanding. For apostles and prophets this revelation came directly from God while
for others through messengers of faith that God sends. The second requisite of faith is
assent to the matters of faith. This requisite has two types of causes; one is the cause that
persuade without (e.g a miracle) which doesn’t influence everyone. The second type of
cause is that of God moving us inwardly through grace.48

Formless Faith does not seem to be a gift of God unformed faith is imperfect
while Scripture says The work of God is perfect. Faith is unformed as it lacks a form it
should have.49

But Faith that exists without charity is a gift of God. The reply to this objection is
that to be unformed is a privation. It is like saying darkness is not essence of translucence
as a species. The unformed faith is unformed as a result of something outside it. The
cause of unformed faith is the cause of pure and simple faith. Hence in this objection
unformed faith is the gift of God.50

2.8 EFFECTS OF FAITH

Fear does not seem to be an effect of faith. Aquinas says fear is the cause and
effect is faith. You that fear the Lord, believe in him. Fear and hope are contraries and

47
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 6, a. 1.
48
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 6, a. 1, ad. 1
49
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 6, a. 2.
50
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 6, a. 2, ad. 1.
faith gives raise to hope. The object of faith is good while the object of fear is an evil. So
faith cannot be cause for fear.51

Purification of heart does not seem to be an effect of faith. Faith is in the mind
while purity of heart includes affection. What is in the mind is the source of what is in the
affections, in that a good as known moves the affections. Hence purity of heart is not the
effect of faith. Faith does not purify the heart as it can co-exist with the impure sin.52

GENERAL CONCLUSION

Faith is traditionally regarded as one of the theological virtues and it is the

cornerstone of our Christian life. The definition of faith is the substance of things to be
hoped for. The object of faith is not only God but all those matters which terminate in
God. It is something that can be seen. Faith is gift from God. The truths of faith can be
51
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 7, a. 1.
52
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 7, a. 2.
found in Teachings and tradition of the Church. Aquinas says faith includes searching
things that lead to belief and hence there is a need of interior consent. He also says one
needs the virtue of courage to profess one’s faith and when one works through love the
inner faith spills into outwardly expressing with exercising one’s faith.

Aquinas gives equal importance to science and faith saying science helps to
strengthens and nourishes our Christian faith while faith leads to understanding and
science. He also stresses that Faith is equally present in all people and the only difference
being variation in degree of commitment to God. Faith involves the believer’s will and
this will need to be ready by God through his grace. The object of faith being good there
is no chance of faith causing fear.

The ultimate purpose of personal existence is the theme of philosophy and

theology alike. Faith leads to as in Ps 16:11 “path of life”, which leads to the full and
lasting joy of the contemplation of the Truine God and to have a face to face vision of the
ultimate truth.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

AQUINAS, Thomas. Light of Faith: The Compendium of Theology. Manchester: Sophia

Institute Press, 1993.
AQUINAS, Thomas. Summa Theologiae. Trans. T. C. O’Brien. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2006.
Catechism of the Catholic Church. Bangalore: Theological Publications in India, 1994.
Henle, R. J. ed. The Treatise on Law. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press,
1993.
HOOD, John Y. B. The Essential Aquinas: Writings in Philosophy, Religion and Society.
London: Praeger Publishers, 2002.
SILLEM, Edward. Ways of Thinking about God: Thomas Aquinas and Some Recent
Problem. London: Darton, Logman & Todd, 1961.