Kolbe’s Theological Terms – KBGF 5

What are the central terms used by Franciscan Theology and, more exactly, by St. Maximilian Kolbe and by Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner in his book The Theologian of Auschwitz? With Dr. J. Isaac Goff, we look though the Glossary of Terms Used by St. Maximilian at the end of The Theologian of Auschwitz, focusing on some particular terms both from Franciscan Philosophy and Franciscan Theology.

Philosophical Terms

Affectus justitiae and Affectus commodi
These describe the "weighting" of the will both to what is useful for myself but also to what is good in itself.

Disjuntive Transcendentals
These are transcendent above any lower classification, but are not categories themselves. Rather they describe how all being fall into one mode or another of being: infinite/finite, eternal/temporal, rational/irrational. Form This has two meanings. One, the more commonly known, is the interior reality making something what it is. The other, less known, is some reality within a being giving a particular perfection, such as will or an idea.

Haecceitas
Aristotle and Aquinas thought that individual beings are distinguished within a community of similar being by having their own chunk of matter. Scotus saw instead there is a deeper reality to individuality coming from God's willing to create it, he, not very helpfully, called it "this-ness" (haecceitas in Latin).

Freedom, necessity and contingent
Is freedom in the choice or in the choosing? Many think I only have freedom in choosing between options, but my freedom is really that I am the one who chooses. In heaven, one necessary loves the God one sees (such is divine beauty), but freely. Infinite/Finite God being infinite does not just mean "always bigger", but unlimited in spiritual power. Infinity in God is a perfection, but infinity is not a perfecting in a finite being, for a finite being is perfected in its finitude, that is, by being something specific.

Simply simple perfections (perfectio simpliciter simplex)
These are perfections, such as will and intellect, that do not imply finitude in themselves, but can be found in God in an infinite mode or in personal beings in finite modes (human/angelic). This is unlike, for example, having four legs is a perfection for a dog since four legs already implies finitude. While these are and act according to the being who possesses them, a higher power can elevate them to act at in a higher mode, such as the intellect acting beyond human capacities by the gift of Faith.

Univocity of Being
We spoke about the controversial point of Scotus, but you need to listen to find out!

Theological Terms (listen to learn!)
Age
Evolution and the Two Pages of History in Kolbe
Fixation
Golden Thread
Self-Annihilation
Transubstantiation into the Holy Spirit, Transubstantiation into Mary Immaculate
Unlimited Consecration

Ave Maria!

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