Abstract

This dissertation proposes to study Aquinas' Christology with the hope of showing its possible relevance to a twentieth century soteriological concern exemplified in liberation theology. Its primary focus is the theology of the passion in Aquinas. Liberation theology is mentioned only in so far as its question attest to the relevance of Aquinas to twentieth century theological concerns. ;The first chapter is a presentation of the major points of Aquinas' theology of the passion. The second chapter will attempt to show that his theology of the incarnation is the proximate foundation of his theology of the passion since the subject of the passion is the incarnate Word, while the third and central chapter presents Aquinas' treatise on God as its ultimate foundation. The theology of the passion raises the question of the relationship between the suffering of the innocent--Christ in this case--and God's loving plan of salvation. Aquinas' treatise on God helps us to address this concern by its discussion of God's goodness, eternity, foreknowledge, will, love, justice, mercy, and providence. It also helps to address the objections of Francis Schussler Fiorenza and Leonardo Boff to classical Christology-soteriology, as well as John Hick's objection to the traditional understanding of the incarnation. The fourth chapter describes grace as implication of this theology of the passion. This implication provides a means to build a bridge between Aquinas and liberation theology in the fifth and last chapter. While liberation theology speaks of the primacy of praxis , Aquinas speaks of praxis subject to reason, and reason subject to grace. Hence, I shall be speaking of "prudential and graced" praxis as Aquinas' possible contribution to the discussion on liberation theology