Benedict Hince holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
He also holds two master's degrees from the International Theological Institute in Austria, and an undergraduate from the University of Exeter, U.K. Address: U.K.
This paper addresses the question of the way in which man is able to "strive for sanctity" throug... more This paper addresses the question of the way in which man is able to "strive for sanctity" through the lenses of Thomas Aquinas and of Dietrich von Hildebrand. Taking its impetus from Thomas' notion of "nature" and Hildebrand's notion of "value-response", this paper considers the place of the will and of human action in this regard. The later part of the paper then turns to a related consideration of the threefold referral of acts as found in Aquinas and identifiable in Hildebrand.
Through this paper I endeavour to examine the theological background that led to the distinct pre... more Through this paper I endeavour to examine the theological background that led to the distinct presentations concerning the nature of marriage by which we move from can. 1013 of the 1917 code of Canon law, to can. 1055 of the 1983 code of Canon law.
In The Acting Person, Wojtyla states that «action serves as a particular moment of apprehending –... more In The Acting Person, Wojtyla states that «action serves as a particular moment of apprehending – that is, of experiencing – the person»1. Whilst unpacking this statement, it will be the ultimate focus of this paper to consider whether there is a greater apprehension – a greater experiencing – of the person given by means of man’s moral action, over and above man’s action that may be considered morally indifferent.
In his letter to the Roman’s, St. Paul writes “Do not be conformed to this world but be transform... more In his letter to the Roman’s, St. Paul writes “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God” . Here it seems that St. Paul is not only speaking of a transformation of the mind, but a transformation of the whole person. He says be transformed by, that is, something is to be transformed by something else; thereby we get the sense of it being our very person that is to be transformed by the renewal of mind. And St. Paul also presents this transformation of the person by the renewal of mind in the context of a direction, namely, that the transformation should bring us towards God, and specifically, towards the will of God.
The idea of beauty and aesthetic judgement having an objective basis, and not merely being of sub... more The idea of beauty and aesthetic judgement having an objective basis, and not merely being of subjective validity, is a widely disputed issue in Aesthetics. In this paper, I follow the thought of Immanuel Kant and Dietrich von Hildebrand, two philosophers who have argued for the objectivity of aesthetic judgement – but in very different ways – and I seek to compare their thoughts, and, ultimately, to demonstrate that they are not irreconcilable with each other. I have also decided to pay particular attention to the way in which we have access to the aesthetic, that is, the way in which we experience the value of beauty. I have proposed in this paper that it is only by contemplation that we are able to do this, and further, that the consumerist society in which we are living poses a significant challenge to our access to the aesthetic.
This presentation, given at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in fulfilment of the ... more This presentation, given at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in fulfilment of the academic requirement for the Sacred Theology License, looks at Thomas' commentary on Romans 2:14-16 and the natural law of the Gentiles in relation to grace.
The thesis posed is that there is a necessary connection between grace and the natural law.
By focusing on the text of Romans 2: 14, and making use of Aquinas’ commentary on that passage, in conjunction with other parts of his Summa Theologiae, I propose that reducing the natural law to a merely natural ethics – without a necessary relation to God and grace, particularly as regards the knowledge of the natural law, and the carrying out of the natural law – is untenable.
This paper addresses the question of the way in which man is able to "strive for sanctity" throug... more This paper addresses the question of the way in which man is able to "strive for sanctity" through the lenses of Thomas Aquinas and of Dietrich von Hildebrand. Taking its impetus from Thomas' notion of "nature" and Hildebrand's notion of "value-response", this paper considers the place of the will and of human action in this regard. The later part of the paper then turns to a related consideration of the threefold referral of acts as found in Aquinas and identifiable in Hildebrand.
Through this paper I endeavour to examine the theological background that led to the distinct pre... more Through this paper I endeavour to examine the theological background that led to the distinct presentations concerning the nature of marriage by which we move from can. 1013 of the 1917 code of Canon law, to can. 1055 of the 1983 code of Canon law.
In The Acting Person, Wojtyla states that «action serves as a particular moment of apprehending –... more In The Acting Person, Wojtyla states that «action serves as a particular moment of apprehending – that is, of experiencing – the person»1. Whilst unpacking this statement, it will be the ultimate focus of this paper to consider whether there is a greater apprehension – a greater experiencing – of the person given by means of man’s moral action, over and above man’s action that may be considered morally indifferent.
In his letter to the Roman’s, St. Paul writes “Do not be conformed to this world but be transform... more In his letter to the Roman’s, St. Paul writes “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God” . Here it seems that St. Paul is not only speaking of a transformation of the mind, but a transformation of the whole person. He says be transformed by, that is, something is to be transformed by something else; thereby we get the sense of it being our very person that is to be transformed by the renewal of mind. And St. Paul also presents this transformation of the person by the renewal of mind in the context of a direction, namely, that the transformation should bring us towards God, and specifically, towards the will of God.
The idea of beauty and aesthetic judgement having an objective basis, and not merely being of sub... more The idea of beauty and aesthetic judgement having an objective basis, and not merely being of subjective validity, is a widely disputed issue in Aesthetics. In this paper, I follow the thought of Immanuel Kant and Dietrich von Hildebrand, two philosophers who have argued for the objectivity of aesthetic judgement – but in very different ways – and I seek to compare their thoughts, and, ultimately, to demonstrate that they are not irreconcilable with each other. I have also decided to pay particular attention to the way in which we have access to the aesthetic, that is, the way in which we experience the value of beauty. I have proposed in this paper that it is only by contemplation that we are able to do this, and further, that the consumerist society in which we are living poses a significant challenge to our access to the aesthetic.
This presentation, given at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in fulfilment of the ... more This presentation, given at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in fulfilment of the academic requirement for the Sacred Theology License, looks at Thomas' commentary on Romans 2:14-16 and the natural law of the Gentiles in relation to grace.
The thesis posed is that there is a necessary connection between grace and the natural law.
By focusing on the text of Romans 2: 14, and making use of Aquinas’ commentary on that passage, in conjunction with other parts of his Summa Theologiae, I propose that reducing the natural law to a merely natural ethics – without a necessary relation to God and grace, particularly as regards the knowledge of the natural law, and the carrying out of the natural law – is untenable.
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The thesis posed is that there is a necessary connection between grace and the natural law.
By focusing on the text of Romans 2: 14, and making use of Aquinas’ commentary on that passage, in conjunction with other parts of his Summa Theologiae, I propose that reducing the natural law to a merely natural ethics – without a necessary relation to God and grace, particularly as regards the knowledge of the natural law, and the carrying out of the natural law – is untenable.
The thesis posed is that there is a necessary connection between grace and the natural law.
By focusing on the text of Romans 2: 14, and making use of Aquinas’ commentary on that passage, in conjunction with other parts of his Summa Theologiae, I propose that reducing the natural law to a merely natural ethics – without a necessary relation to God and grace, particularly as regards the knowledge of the natural law, and the carrying out of the natural law – is untenable.