The Center for Ethics and Culture’s fall conference opened with Fr. John Saward’s address ‘’Giving wisdom to little ones’ (Psalm 18: 8): St. Thomas Aquinas – Doctor of the Little Way.” Fr. Saward, an associate lecturer at Oxford and a parish priest of the church that J.R.R. Tolkien once attended, explained how Aquinas reflected and lived this ideal of retrieving simplicity.
In Aquinas’ philosophical and theological works, Saward said, lies the paradox that the man whose intellect rivals that of the angels is also a man of childlike humility. This paradox is also the paradox of Christ, reflecting the mysterious nature of an omnipotent God who died on a cross.
Saward argued that the works of St. Thomas possess the spontaneity of childhood, which comes before reason and marks the disposition of those who truly possess wisdom. One may object, he said, that “childlikeness” cannot be part of wisdom because children themselves do not possess the fullness of reason and thus do not possess wisdom themselves. Saward says, however, that one must imitate childhood not in its deficiency of understanding but rather in its natural inclinations.
Humility, which restrains the unbridled desire for excellence, is one such inclination. One sees this primarily in a child’s wonder at the world, at others, and at himself. The child sees the world and asks “Why?” In the same way, Aquinas follows Aristotle in looking at the world and seeking causes. This humility is essential to theology because theology is “faith seeking understanding,” thus presupposing an acceptance by faith of the truth received through revelation.
Thus, theology primarily argues from the authority of doctrine, scripture, and the Church Fathers. Saward referenced Aquinas’ claim that pride is in some fashion at the beginning of every sin, which hinders one’s finding of the truth through a preoccupation with one’s own excellence. Rather, as Aquinas said, humility is found at the root of truth. Aquinas wrote his great “Summa Theologica” for those seminarians and students who were new to the study of theology, and came to the realization that all his works were “like straw” compared with God’s wonder and glory.
Another childlike characteristic is playfulness. In discussing this, Saward cited Josef Pieper, who argued that the pursuit of philosophy requires leisure. He suggested that without play, one loses the possibility of leisure, which is necessary in order to contemplate truth. In contrast to the “Protestant work ethic,” or utilitarianism, one should instead embrace a spirit of childhood, which values play and leisure. This playfulness, as an activity pursued for its own sake, perhaps in this way resembles Aristotle’s highest good of contemplation. Saward pointed out that Aquinas agreed with this valuing of playfulness: Indeed, he said that, while playing too much is a sin, so is playing too little.
Saward also pointed out in the original manuscript of Aquinas’ “Summa Contra Gentiles,” he wrote the words “Ave Maria” frequently throughout. In Mary, Saward said, we see a reflection of the conference’s theme, “Younger than Sin: Reviving the Virtue of Simplicity through Humility, Wonder, and Joy.” She was humble, and always maintained the innocence of grace which was gifted to her through her Immaculate Conception. Our Lady truly may be said to be “younger than sin.”
Finally, Saward stated that, although Aquinas did not perceive the truth of the Immaculate Conception during his day, we see the same humility which marked his life and writings in those followers of his Thomistic school of theology. For example, Fr. Saward referred to Fr. Garrigou, who stated that it should be “a point of honor” for Thomists to concede the failure of their patron. Thus, in the writings of Aquinas, his life, and his philosophy we see a mind which is, as Saward said, “always young, always humble, childlike, younger than deceit, younger than error, giving wisdom to little ones.”
E.J. Sanchez, a sophomore of Morrissey Manor, lives in the higher universe of mathematics. If you’d like to take a visit, contact E.J. at esanche4@nd.edu.
