Email from Steve G:
Perhaps you can send this note on to the SBMMFF folks to serve as a few preliminary thoughts about what our next discussion might look like. As always, if anyone has any additional feedback before Saturday that would be great.
This Saturday we will review the chapters 190 through 210 of Practical Theology. These chapters break down into four themes.
First, there is a discussion a number of day-to-day concerns such as temptation, curiosity, games and jokes, modesty, etc. (190-196). These are the day-to-day things that often vex us, such as why we are tempted, why we often are victims of pride, and how we deal with every day lack of thoughtfulness. Not surprisingly, St. Thomas appeals again and again to reason and common sense and it seems worth discussing how we can benefit from the discipline of relying on reason as he does.
Second, there is a short discussion of what I would call truths and words. (197-198). I found this particular compelling sense it relates to the avalanche of words we are exposed to on a daily basis, many of them far from well intended. These two sections give us helpful insights about the power of words, particularly in connection with the struggle between our intellect and our emotions.
Third, there is a lengthy set of discussions about the contemplative life and the differences between the contemplative life and the active life (200 — 206). This is not very surprising given St. Thomas’s life as a monk. However, I found these sections to be particularly difficult given the current culture of active and even frenetic lives we seem compelled (likely by false secular prophets) to lead, and the dearth of time for appropriate contemplation. Balancing those two is a challenge I’d bet all of us face on a daily basis.
Fourth are several chapters on perfection (and how we can strive for it without ever achieving it) which lead up to a discussion of the Incarnation (207-210). To me, these are the most “theological” of the chapters and discussing the importance of the Incarnation versus the Resurrection should be interesting.
I’m looking forward to our time together.
Steve