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Graduate Papers by Paul R Chutikorn
In this paper, I consider to what degree the Trinitarian theology of St. Thomas Aquinas uphold th... more In this paper, I consider to what degree the Trinitarian theology of St. Thomas Aquinas uphold the magisterial teachings of St. John Paul II on the matter of whether the communio personarum in the Holy Trinity can be imaged in the human person by nature. In Thomistic scholarship, the teachings of John Paul II on the image of God being discussed from the aspect of sexual differentiation will give pause to many because though St. Thomas himself holds, in line with Augustine, that man is indeed an imago Trinitatis, he clearly denies that this can be the case according to many, insofar as the imago Dei can only be in the mind. As I argue, the Trinitarian analogy proposed by St. John Paul II would only present a contradiction if the argument for the Trinitarian image was considered with regard to origin and thus to personal differentiation.
By making a brief analysis of Mulieris Dignitatem, it will be seen that the argument is not based upon sexual differentiation per se, but instead on the ‘gift of self.” I maintain that the Trinitarian likeness is derived from the love shared between persons in the unity of conjugal communion by which the persons are directed toward one another, such as in the Trinitarian circumincession. Looking at the evidence will serve to show that John Paul II’s Trinitarian anthropology validly illustrates the analogous nature between the interpersonal communion of love in the Holy Trinity and the communion of love between man and woman. John Paul II’s teaching does not conflict with that of St. Thomas, but rather, builds upon the very foundation that St. Thomas has provided, and even takes the matter further so as to formulate a greater magisterial development, showing how the “gift of self” in the Trinity serves as the exemplar cause for the communio personarum, as the principle of directedness in the very nature of man.
There have been many people over the course of the history of philosophy who have not only wrestl... more There have been many people over the course of the history of philosophy who have not only wrestled with the concept of the existence of God, but also with how creatures can be said to relate to God. In this paper, I juxtapose the views of Benedict de Spinoza and St. Thomas Aquinas, with an emphasis on their theories of substance. In tackling the substance monism of Spinoza from a Thomistic perspective, I present what appears to be a conflation of subsistent being itself (ipsum esse subsistens) and common being (esse commune). I maintain that it is precisely this confusion that leads Spinoza to speak of all beings as existing accidentally as finite modes of the divine substance. Once these terms are properly understood, especially in light of formal and efficient causality in Aquinas, what results is a surprising reconciliation between the God of Aquinas and the God of Spinoza.
Undergraduate Papers by Paul R Chutikorn
Thomistica, Sacra Doctrina Project, Nov 9, 2018
The mind-body problem became very clear following Descartes unique view of substance which flows ... more The mind-body problem became very clear following Descartes unique view of substance which flows from his understanding of the self as a thinking thing. He believed that mental substances were necessarily distinct from material substances, and that the total essence of the human person was the mind. Yet still, even he realized that there was an intimate connection between the mind and the body, and that we needed an explanation for precisely what the nature of this connection is. I will argue that not only did Descartes fail to find this connection between the mind and the body and how they interact with each other, but also that the system employed by St. Thomas Aquinas provides a much more coherent understanding of the relationship between the two. Adopting Aquinas' view of substance will provide a solution to the problem by avoiding altogether the position that man is made up of dual substances. Rather, Aquinas shows us that we can acknowledge a duality within substance itself, while maintaining its inherent substantial unity.
Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Ignatius Press, Mar 15, 2018
There is often much confusion between the relationship of merit and grace and how it plays a par... more There is often much confusion between the relationship of merit and grace and how it plays a part in our lives from a soteriological perspective. This confusion, from both non-Catholics and on behalf of some Catholics themselves, has led to a general belief that Catholic theology places a larger emphasis on merit than on God’s grace likening it to Semi-Pelagianism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides clarification on much of this misunderstanding. I will seek to use the teaching of the Church through the Catechism as a foundation for the necessary distinctions between the two, and then use the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas to provide a further exposition of this teaching. In the absolute sense, it is certainly possible to perform meritorious acts by virtue of our natural powers. However, I will seek to illustrate the need to consider the
cause or origin of these powers. This will then lead to necessary distinctions between the natural and the supernatural in order to properly understand the relationship between merit and grace and Aquinas’ position of grace perfecting nature.
Homiletic & Pastoral Review, Ignatius Press, 2019
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the Sacrament of Matrimony as a "matrimonial covenan... more The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the Sacrament of Matrimony as a "matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life … ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring." This is such a loaded definition, and one which we should all look further into in order to understand how this is applicable in a life concerning conjugal love. To do so, we must look at this both from a philosophical and theological perspective. We will begin with an Aristotelian understanding of the nature of friendship and move on to the biblical and ecclesial understandings of the nature of marriage so that we can gain a fuller understanding of what constitutes a good one. For it is much easier to determine a cause for the dysfunction in a marriage by first knowing how it is supposed to function in its proper order.
The problem of the One and the Many has been a topic of debate amongst metaphysicians of all phil... more The problem of the One and the Many has been a topic of debate amongst metaphysicians of all philosophical schools of thought. As always, there are schools which lean to two extremes: either that all being is one (Monism), or that existing things are only diverse (Pluralism). The Thomistic school, following the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, seeks to demonstrate that we cannot coherently reject that existing things are both unified, yet distinct from one another. But how can the Thomist account for both the unity and multiplicity of being? In order to make these concepts intelligible, Aquinas makes the distinction between essence and existence. It is through this distinction that we can come to see that all created beings share similarity in existence, and dissimilarity in essence. The principle of similarity and dissimilarity applies to all existing things. This paper will demonstrate how it is that all existing things are constituted by this composition, and by moving from effect to cause, we can then discover that the cause of all existing things is altogether simple without a composition of essence and existence.
In Thomas Aquinas’ ontology, there are many aspects by which we are able to examine being itself.... more In Thomas Aquinas’ ontology, there are many aspects by which we are able to examine being itself. A thorough understanding of the nature of being is key to engaging in Thomistic metaphysics. Thus, I will focus on expositing the various principles of nature such as Aquinas’ understanding of substance, accident, and the relationship between matter and form, in order to be prepared for more advanced metaphysical studies.
As society continues to lose sight of the objectivity of truth and goodness, political discourse ... more As society continues to lose sight of the objectivity of truth and goodness, political discourse has become somewhat of a chaotic feature of our everyday lives. Politics have become one of those things which many people proactively avoid for the sake of peace. Many others avoid politics because they feel it is entirely futile since any political system is subject to corruption. In this paper, I will seek to demonstrate that in order to properly understand the nature of politics and our roles within society, we must first grasp the essential definition of the bonum commune, for I hope to show that it is the common good which is the main purpose of engaging in politics at all. Using Thomas Aquinas as a guide, I will engage with the political theory of the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition as a way to illustrate just how the common good can be both sought and achieved by a proper function of the part for the sake of the whole.
Conference Presentations by Paul R Chutikorn
Development of Doctrine Conference - St. Bernard's School of Theology & Ministry, 2021
In this paper, I consider to what degree the Trinitarian theology of St. Thomas Aquinas uphold th... more In this paper, I consider to what degree the Trinitarian theology of St. Thomas Aquinas uphold the magisterial teachings of St. John Paul II on the matter of whether the communio personarum in the Holy Trinity can be imaged in the human person by nature. In Thomistic scholarship, the teachings of John Paul II on the image of God being discussed from the aspect of sexual differentiation will give pause to many because though St. Thomas himself holds, in line with Augustine, that man is indeed an imago Trinitatis, he clearly denies that this can be the case according to many, insofar as the imago Dei can only be in the mind. As I argue, the Trinitarian analogy proposed by St. John Paul II would only present a contradiction if the argument for the Trinitarian image was considered with regard to origin and thus to personal differentiation.
By making a brief analysis of Mulieris Dignitatem, it will be seen that the argument is not based upon sexual differentiation per se, but instead on the ‘gift of self.” I maintain that the Trinitarian likeness is derived from the love shared between persons in the unity of conjugal communion by which the persons are directed toward one another, such as in the Trinitarian circumincession. Looking at the evidence will serve to show that John Paul II’s Trinitarian anthropology validly illustrates the analogous nature between the interpersonal communion of love in the Holy Trinity and the communion of love between man and woman. John Paul II’s teaching does not conflict with that of St. Thomas, but rather, builds upon the very foundation that St. Thomas has provided, and even takes the matter further so as to formulate a greater magisterial development, showing how the “gift of self” in the Trinity serves as the exemplar cause for the communio personarum, as the principle of directedness in the very nature of man.
In this paper, I consider to what degree the Trinitarian theology of St. Thomas Aquinas uphold th... more In this paper, I consider to what degree the Trinitarian theology of St. Thomas Aquinas uphold the magisterial teachings of St. John Paul II on the matter of whether the communio personarum in the Holy Trinity can be imaged in the human person by nature. In Thomistic scholarship, the teachings of John Paul II on the image of God being discussed from the aspect of sexual differentiation will give pause to many because though St. Thomas himself holds, in line with Augustine, that man is indeed an imago Trinitatis, he clearly denies that this can be the case according to many, insofar as the imago Dei can only be in the mind. As I argue, the Trinitarian analogy proposed by St. John Paul II would only present a contradiction if the argument for the Trinitarian image was considered with regard to origin and thus to personal differentiation.
By making a brief analysis of Mulieris Dignitatem, it will be seen that the argument is not based upon sexual differentiation per se, but instead on the ‘gift of self.” I maintain that the Trinitarian likeness is derived from the love shared between persons in the unity of conjugal communion by which the persons are directed toward one another, such as in the Trinitarian circumincession. Looking at the evidence will serve to show that John Paul II’s Trinitarian anthropology validly illustrates the analogous nature between the interpersonal communion of love in the Holy Trinity and the communion of love between man and woman. John Paul II’s teaching does not conflict with that of St. Thomas, but rather, builds upon the very foundation that St. Thomas has provided, and even takes the matter further so as to formulate a greater magisterial development, showing how the “gift of self” in the Trinity serves as the exemplar cause for the communio personarum, as the principle of directedness in the very nature of man.
There have been many people over the course of the history of philosophy who have not only wrestl... more There have been many people over the course of the history of philosophy who have not only wrestled with the concept of the existence of God, but also with how creatures can be said to relate to God. In this paper, I juxtapose the views of Benedict de Spinoza and St. Thomas Aquinas, with an emphasis on their theories of substance. In tackling the substance monism of Spinoza from a Thomistic perspective, I present what appears to be a conflation of subsistent being itself (ipsum esse subsistens) and common being (esse commune). I maintain that it is precisely this confusion that leads Spinoza to speak of all beings as existing accidentally as finite modes of the divine substance. Once these terms are properly understood, especially in light of formal and efficient causality in Aquinas, what results is a surprising reconciliation between the God of Aquinas and the God of Spinoza.
Thomistica, Sacra Doctrina Project, Nov 9, 2018
The mind-body problem became very clear following Descartes unique view of substance which flows ... more The mind-body problem became very clear following Descartes unique view of substance which flows from his understanding of the self as a thinking thing. He believed that mental substances were necessarily distinct from material substances, and that the total essence of the human person was the mind. Yet still, even he realized that there was an intimate connection between the mind and the body, and that we needed an explanation for precisely what the nature of this connection is. I will argue that not only did Descartes fail to find this connection between the mind and the body and how they interact with each other, but also that the system employed by St. Thomas Aquinas provides a much more coherent understanding of the relationship between the two. Adopting Aquinas' view of substance will provide a solution to the problem by avoiding altogether the position that man is made up of dual substances. Rather, Aquinas shows us that we can acknowledge a duality within substance itself, while maintaining its inherent substantial unity.
Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Ignatius Press, Mar 15, 2018
There is often much confusion between the relationship of merit and grace and how it plays a par... more There is often much confusion between the relationship of merit and grace and how it plays a part in our lives from a soteriological perspective. This confusion, from both non-Catholics and on behalf of some Catholics themselves, has led to a general belief that Catholic theology places a larger emphasis on merit than on God’s grace likening it to Semi-Pelagianism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides clarification on much of this misunderstanding. I will seek to use the teaching of the Church through the Catechism as a foundation for the necessary distinctions between the two, and then use the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas to provide a further exposition of this teaching. In the absolute sense, it is certainly possible to perform meritorious acts by virtue of our natural powers. However, I will seek to illustrate the need to consider the
cause or origin of these powers. This will then lead to necessary distinctions between the natural and the supernatural in order to properly understand the relationship between merit and grace and Aquinas’ position of grace perfecting nature.
Homiletic & Pastoral Review, Ignatius Press, 2019
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the Sacrament of Matrimony as a "matrimonial covenan... more The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the Sacrament of Matrimony as a "matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life … ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring." This is such a loaded definition, and one which we should all look further into in order to understand how this is applicable in a life concerning conjugal love. To do so, we must look at this both from a philosophical and theological perspective. We will begin with an Aristotelian understanding of the nature of friendship and move on to the biblical and ecclesial understandings of the nature of marriage so that we can gain a fuller understanding of what constitutes a good one. For it is much easier to determine a cause for the dysfunction in a marriage by first knowing how it is supposed to function in its proper order.
The problem of the One and the Many has been a topic of debate amongst metaphysicians of all phil... more The problem of the One and the Many has been a topic of debate amongst metaphysicians of all philosophical schools of thought. As always, there are schools which lean to two extremes: either that all being is one (Monism), or that existing things are only diverse (Pluralism). The Thomistic school, following the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, seeks to demonstrate that we cannot coherently reject that existing things are both unified, yet distinct from one another. But how can the Thomist account for both the unity and multiplicity of being? In order to make these concepts intelligible, Aquinas makes the distinction between essence and existence. It is through this distinction that we can come to see that all created beings share similarity in existence, and dissimilarity in essence. The principle of similarity and dissimilarity applies to all existing things. This paper will demonstrate how it is that all existing things are constituted by this composition, and by moving from effect to cause, we can then discover that the cause of all existing things is altogether simple without a composition of essence and existence.
In Thomas Aquinas’ ontology, there are many aspects by which we are able to examine being itself.... more In Thomas Aquinas’ ontology, there are many aspects by which we are able to examine being itself. A thorough understanding of the nature of being is key to engaging in Thomistic metaphysics. Thus, I will focus on expositing the various principles of nature such as Aquinas’ understanding of substance, accident, and the relationship between matter and form, in order to be prepared for more advanced metaphysical studies.
As society continues to lose sight of the objectivity of truth and goodness, political discourse ... more As society continues to lose sight of the objectivity of truth and goodness, political discourse has become somewhat of a chaotic feature of our everyday lives. Politics have become one of those things which many people proactively avoid for the sake of peace. Many others avoid politics because they feel it is entirely futile since any political system is subject to corruption. In this paper, I will seek to demonstrate that in order to properly understand the nature of politics and our roles within society, we must first grasp the essential definition of the bonum commune, for I hope to show that it is the common good which is the main purpose of engaging in politics at all. Using Thomas Aquinas as a guide, I will engage with the political theory of the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition as a way to illustrate just how the common good can be both sought and achieved by a proper function of the part for the sake of the whole.
Development of Doctrine Conference - St. Bernard's School of Theology & Ministry, 2021
In this paper, I consider to what degree the Trinitarian theology of St. Thomas Aquinas uphold th... more In this paper, I consider to what degree the Trinitarian theology of St. Thomas Aquinas uphold the magisterial teachings of St. John Paul II on the matter of whether the communio personarum in the Holy Trinity can be imaged in the human person by nature. In Thomistic scholarship, the teachings of John Paul II on the image of God being discussed from the aspect of sexual differentiation will give pause to many because though St. Thomas himself holds, in line with Augustine, that man is indeed an imago Trinitatis, he clearly denies that this can be the case according to many, insofar as the imago Dei can only be in the mind. As I argue, the Trinitarian analogy proposed by St. John Paul II would only present a contradiction if the argument for the Trinitarian image was considered with regard to origin and thus to personal differentiation.
By making a brief analysis of Mulieris Dignitatem, it will be seen that the argument is not based upon sexual differentiation per se, but instead on the ‘gift of self.” I maintain that the Trinitarian likeness is derived from the love shared between persons in the unity of conjugal communion by which the persons are directed toward one another, such as in the Trinitarian circumincession. Looking at the evidence will serve to show that John Paul II’s Trinitarian anthropology validly illustrates the analogous nature between the interpersonal communion of love in the Holy Trinity and the communion of love between man and woman. John Paul II’s teaching does not conflict with that of St. Thomas, but rather, builds upon the very foundation that St. Thomas has provided, and even takes the matter further so as to formulate a greater magisterial development, showing how the “gift of self” in the Trinity serves as the exemplar cause for the communio personarum, as the principle of directedness in the very nature of man.