Philosophy the Handmaid of Theology · §55

Whether theology is a speculative or a practical discipline

Article XXVIII. Whether theology is a speculative or a practical discipline.

1. Opinions vary: merely speculative, merely practical, or mixed.

2. Wayfarers' theology is principally practical — its ultimate end is not bare contemplation but enjoyment of God through faith, hope, charity, and obedience — though it contains much that is speculative.

3. Homeland theology is more speculative or contemplative, ending in God's vision. Even in the way, theology does not shut out speculation; it orders it to the practice of piety.

Latin

ART. XXVIII. Utrum Theologia sit disciplina speculativa, an practica. 1. In hac controversia variae sunt Philosophorum & Theologorum sententiae. Alii Theologiam mere speculativam; alii mere practicam; alii mixtam faciunt. 2. Nos: Theologia viatorum est principaliter practica, quia finis ejus ultimus non est nuda contemplatio, sed fruitio DEI per fidem, spem, charitatem, & obedientiam — etsi multa in ea speculativa continentur. 3. Theologia patriae est magis speculativa seu contemplativa, quia in visione DEI terminatur. Attamen etiam in via Theologia non excludit speculationem; sed ordinat eam ad praxim pietatis.

About this text

Robert Baron, Philosophia Theologiae Ancillans (Philosophy in Service to Theology): the first exercise, on being and essence, and the second, on the origin of the soul and the spread of sin — newly rendered from Latin. Later exercises are not in this volume.

English follows locked 1658 Oxford Latin. Prima Art. I-XII from IA PDF leaves ~15-53. Secunda Art. I-XV from PDF leaves 56-107 / printed pp.54-105 (tess+pdftotext+DjVu). No modern English copied. Exercitatio Tertia+ remain.

Catalogue & scope

Wing B887. IA bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_philosophia-theologi-an_baron-robert_1658. Exercitatio Prima Art. I-XII; Exercitatio Secunda Art. I-XV (De origine animae & propagatione peccati). Not whole Philosophia (213 pp). Exercitatio Tertia+ remain.

Witnesses

This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.