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the teacher who needs to be able to organize a text like the Summa Theologiae, in order to make evident the whole of the faith in a form that works for the student. Students learn by their own research, wherein the interior innate principles of knowledge are applied "to particular things, the memory or experience of which he acquires through the senses; then by his own research advancing from the known to the unknown, he obtains knowledge of what he knew not before." Students learn also by external instruction, wherein "anyone who teaches leads the disciple from things known by the latter to the knowledge of things previously unknown to him . . ." The teacher offers helpful means of instruction: "for instance, he may put before [the student] certain less universal propositions, of which nevertheless the disciple is able to judge from previous knowledge . . ."; he also takes into account the relative weakness of the student's reasoning power, "inasmuch as he proposes to the disciple the order of principles to conclusions, by reason of his not having sufficient collating power to be able to draw the conclusions from the principles." |
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The Summa Theologiae replicates this teaching process, unfolding the knowledge of the learned teacher in an order that the student can understand with increasing proficiency. As in Advaita, the Text is teacher; to understand the Summa is to submit oneself to it, to allow oneself to be taught by it. Careful, ordered engagement allows the reader to advance in the array of appropriate knowledgesof the text, the tradition, the self, right behavior, God.
39 As a teaching founded in the Bible and beginning with a reflection on the capacity of language, the Summa Theologiae extends the letter of scripture in a language (direct, commentarial, pedagogical, translated, etc.) that has the power to teach. |
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Its pedagogical efficacy remains in force when it is reread after another pedagogical text such as the Advaita Text, and the pedagogical effectiveness of both is enhanced by their juxtaposition. We therefore find ourselves reading and comparing two Texts which are meant to educate their readers. Both are dedicated to the development and use of a correct(ed), sophisticated language about Brahman (for the Advaita) or God (for Aquinas' |
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