The Theological Character of the Scholastic “Division of the Text” with Particular Reference to the Commentaries of Saint Thomas Aquinas
In his commentary on the Gospel according to Saint John, Saint Thomas Aquinas states the principal point—the unifying theme—of the Gospel: to “show the divinity of the incarnate Word”. In view of this intention, Saint Thomas divides the Gospel into two parts: in the first, Saint John presents the divinity of Christ, and in the second he manifests that divinity through those things Christ did in the flesh. A scholastic division of the text appears to be a product of the 13th century. As a technique for interpreting texts, it is not limited to sacred scripture. It is used principally to elucidate the literal sense of scripture. The scholastic division of the text as a method employed by the doctors of the high Middle Ages is not without its theological character. Certainly for those who were masters of theology, the commenting on scripture was their primary task.
Keywords: Gospel, Saint John, Saint Thomas Aquinas, sacred scripture, theology, scholastic division, divinity, Christ, literal sense, Middle Ages
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