1 Comment
User's avatar
⭠ Return to thread
Dan's avatar

Worth mentioning that right after the Protestant Reformation, perhaps in an over-correction, we seemingly sidelined some of Aquinas’ views on temporal punishment. Indulgences for him worked within a framework of “conforming to Christ” not making up for what we lack.

Temporal punishment had a couple of forms for him it was first not revenge or about guilt, but that if someone needs to experience punishment in this life it is so the penitent (who is lacking for one reason or another) has opportunities to reflect on Christ’s passion before death. And ultimately he connected that to increasing our capacity for the theological virtue of charity.

He did have a sense that if we have not conformed to Christ fully that there are consequences through Purgatory. And to some degree over the centuries we have started conflating that.

https://www.cittadellaeditrice.com/munera/che-cosa-e-la-pena-temporale-le-distinzioni-di-tommaso-daquino-e-la-loro-recezione-moderna-e-contemporanea/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0EPsLTySU1K4pVp_1v11SKdFqxshFMvy42o67Ah99kjrtisuk03LVWiKQ_aem_HPYbkDc6zSjDzp6qclnbqA

Expand full comment