God talk

Summa Theologica John Calvin John Calvin is considered and rightly so, A theologian that spoke beyond his century.   As far as the Bible is concerned, he is considered as the first of the modern commentators for his exegesis trying to get to the real text.   Any theologian worth his salt should at least have read his Institute of the Christian Religion. So, I think it is proper and right to start of with his first book.   His Institutes starts with asking the question of the knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves. 1. Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes and gives birth to the other. For, in the first place, no man can survey himself without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves; because it is perfectly obviou

P(1)- Q(12)- A(13) Whether by grace a higher knowledge of God can be obtained than by natural reason? P(1)- Q(12)- A(13) - O(1) — It seems that by grace a higher knowledge of God is not obtained than by natural reason. For Dionysius says (De Mystica Theol. i) that whoever is the more united to God in this life, is united to Him as to one entirely unknown. He says the same of Moses, who nevertheless obtained a certain excellence by the knowledge conferred by grace. But to be united to God while ignoring of Him “what He is,” comes about also by natural reason. Therefore God is not more known to us by grace than by natural reason. P(1)- Q(12)- A(13) - O(2) — Further, we can acquire the knowledge of divine things by natural reason only through the imagination; and the same applies to the knowledge given by grace. For Dionysius says (Coel. Hier. i) that “it is impossible for the divine ray to shine upon us except as screened round about by the many colored