Red Grace Live Lecture: Theology and Apologetics

Hosts

• Emilio Ramos
• Guest: Dr. Lane G. Tipton from the Reform Forum

Key Topics

Thomas Aquinas and the Image of God

• Thomas Aquinas' View

  • Importance of understanding Aquinas at a deeper conceptual level.
  • Comparison with Reformed Orthodoxy, especially Voss and Van Til.

• Invisible Missions and Beatitude

  • Key Distinctions:
    • Natural Knowledge of God
      • Comes from creation as the image of God.
    • Supernatural Knowledge of God
      • Comes via superadded grace (donum superadditum).
      • Elevates rational creatures above natural knowledge.

Image of God and Divine Processions

• Divine Processions:

  • Natural image given through creation.
  • Grace leads to a supernatural ascension.
  • Patterned after divine processions of the Son (knowledge) and Spirit (love).

• Creaturely Image of God

  • Ascending participation from nature to grace to glory.
  • Rational creatures have an imprint to seek the good via reason and freedom.

Quotation from Thomas Aquinas

• Path of Beatitude
  • Rational creatures return to God, attaining beatitude through knowledge and love.

Lawrence Feingold's Insight

• Participation in God's divine life and beatitude as the ultimate end.
• Beatific Vision:
  • Supernatural, mysterious participation in God's life.

Critique of Roman Catholic Theology

• Deeper Catholic Conception
  • Achieves ultimate knowledge and love through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.

Bavink's Critique

• Emphasizes human limitations in achieving divine knowledge.
• Against Roman Catholic View:
  • Considers it rests on pseudo-Dionysian mysticism.

Voss's Perspective

• Critiques Roman Catholic theology's mystical deification and Pelagian works merit.
• Advocates for distinct Protestant conception of nature and destiny of man.

Practical Implications

• Encouragement to study Thomas Aquinas, Bavinck, Voss, and others.
• Recommended reading: Gilles Emery and Dominic Legge for deep understanding of Thomistic theology.

Conclusion

• The lecture presents an alternative path for understanding Reformed theology, emphasizing deep reflection on these theological structures.
• Future episodes to explore Bellarmine, Bavinck, Turretin, and Voss further to understand the Reformed perspective on the nature and destiny of man.