CONTENTS
CONTENTS
II THE ACTUAL MYSTICAL PROBLEM
OBJECT AND METHOD OF ASCETICAL AND MYSTICAL THEOLOGY
I. THE MEANING OF ASCETICAL AND MYSTICAL THEOLOGY; ITS OBJECT
II. THE PRINCIPLES AND METHOD OF ASCETICAL AND MYSTICAL THEOLOGY
A. Descriptive or inductive method
THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN ASCETICAL THEOLOGY AND MYSTICAL THEOLOGY AND THE UNITY OF SPIRITUAL DOCTRINE
I. TRADITIONAL THESIS: THE UNITY OF SPIRITUAL DOCTRINE
II. THESIS OF SEVERAL MODERN AUTHORS: SEPARATION OF ASCETICAL FROM MYSTICAL THEOLOGY
III. RETURN TO THE TRADITIONAL THESIS: UNITY OF SPIRITUAL DOCTRINE
MEANING OF THE TERMS OF THE PROBLEM
III MYSTICAL THEOLOGY AND THE FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES OF ST. THOMAS
NATURAL INTELLECTUAL LIFE AND SUPERNATURAL LIFE
I. ERROR OF THE NOMINALISTS ON THE SUPERNATURALNESS OF SANCTIFYING GRACE AND THE THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES
IV. OUTLINE OF THE DIVISION OF THE SUPERNATURAL
MYSTICAL THEOLOGY AND THE ESSENTIALLY SUPERNATURAL CHARACTER OF INFUSED FAITH
I. ESSENTIALLY SUPERNATURAL CHARACTER OF THE INFUSED VIRTUES, WHETHER THEOLOGICAL OR MORAL
II. CAPITAL IMPORTANCE OF THIS DOCTRINE IN REGARD TO INFUSED FAITH
III. ABSOLUTE CERTITUDE OF INFUSED FAITH
IV. THIS DOCTRINE IS THE FOUNDATION OF MYSTICAL THEOLOGY
MYSTICAL THEOLOGY AND THE DOCTRINE OF ST. THOMAS ON THE EFFICACY OF GRACE
I. GRACE IS EFFICACIOUS IN ITSELF
II. THIS TRANSCENDENTAL EFFICACY OF GRACE PRODUCES IN US AND WITH US THE FREE MODE OF OUR ACTS
III. A GOOD ACT COMES ENTIRELY FROM GOD AS FIRST CAUSE, AND ENTIRELY FROM MAN AS SECOND CAUSE
IV. THE DISORDER IN AN EVIL ACT COMES SOLELY FROM MAN AS A DEFICIENT CAUSE
THE PRACTICAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE DOCTRINE OF ST. THOMAS ON GRACE
I. TWO GRACES: SUFFICIENT AND EFFICACIOUS
II. DOCTRINE LEADS TO:
3. The practice of the theological virtues
III. THE SAME DOCTRINE IS TAUGHT BY THE IMITATION AND BY THE GREATEST MASTERS OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
IV THE FULL PERFECTION OF CHRISTIAN LIFE
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION, OR THE BEGINNING OF ETERNAL LIFE
I. ETERNAL LIFE IN ITS COMPLETE DEVELOPMENT
2. Life of grace on earth, the same in its essence as that of heaven
3. Charity should last forever
4. The indwelling of the Blessed Trinity
5. The mystical union is the normal, though infrequent, prelude to the life of heaven
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION CONSISTS ESPECIALLY IN CHARITY
I. ERRONEOUS OR INCOMPLETE DOCTRINES ON THE ESSENCE OF PERFECTION
II. TRUE SOLUTION: PERFECTION CONSISTS CHIEFLY IN CHARITY
III. THE OBJECTION OF INTELLECTUALS: WHY IS CHARITY SUPERIOR TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD?
THE FULL PERFECTION OF CHARITY PRESUPPOSES THE PASSIVE PURIFICATION OF THE SENSES AND OF THE SPIRIT
1.DOCTRINE OF ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS ON THE PERFECTION OF CHARITY
ACCORDING TO TRADITION THE FULL PERFECTION OF CHRISTIAN LIFE BELONGS TO THE MYSTICAL ORDER
II. TEACHING OF THE IMITATION ON PERFECTION AND INFUSED CONTEMPLATION
III. DOCTRINE OF ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA
VII. RELATIVE PERFECTION, HEROISM AND SANCTITY
VIII. "FULL PERFECTION" MEANS NOT ONLY THE ESSENCE OF PERFECTION, BUT ITS NORMAL INTEGRITY
PERFECTION AND THE PRECEPT OF THE LOVE OF GOD
A. IS THE FIRST PRECEPT WITHOUT LIMIT?
1. Teaching of St. Augustine and St. Thomas on this point
2. Objections of Suarez and replies of Passerini
B. THREE CONSEQUENCES OF THE PRECEPT OF THE LOVE OF GOD
1. In the way of perfection, he who does not advance falls back
2. Every Christian, each according to his condition, must strive for the perfection of charity
3. Actual graces are progressively offered to the soul proportionate to the end to be attained
V CONTEMPLATION AND ITS DEGREES
PRAYER IN GENERAL AND COMMON PRAYER
III. How TO ATTAIN TO A LIFE OF PRAYER AND PERSEVERE IN IT
MEANING OF "CONTEMPLATION," "ORDINARY," "EXTRAORDINARY"
I. SO-CALLED ACQUIRED CONTEMPLATION AND INFUSED CONTEMPLATION
II. THE ORDINARY AND THE EXTRAORDINARY IN THE SUPERNATURAL LIFE
DESCRIPTION OF INFUSED CONTEMPLATION AND ITS DEGREES ACCORDING TO ST. TERESA
II. THE DEGREES OF THE MYSTICAL STATE; FROM THE FOURTH TO THE SEVENTH MANSIONS
WHAT INFUSED CONTEMPLATION DOES NOT ESSENTIALLY REQUIRE
1. It is not always given suddenly
2. It is not necessarily accompanied by an absolute impossibility to discourse or to reason
4. It does not require consciousness of being in the state of grace
5. It does not require the feeling of the presence of God (night of the spirit)
6. It is not a grace gratis data
7. It does not require infused ideas, but an infused light
8. It does not require an immediate perception of God
I. THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST
II. ARE THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY GHOST NECESSARY TO SALVATION?
III. NECESSITY OF AN INCREASINGLY PERFECT DOCILITY TO THE INTERIOR MASTER
IV. THE SPECIAL INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY GHOST AND THE PROGRESS OF CHARITY
1.The special inspiration of the Holy Ghost and common, actual grace
I. THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM IN SCRIPTURE
II. THE GIFT OF WISDOM AND INFUSED CONTEMPLATION ACCORDING TO THEOLOGY
III. PROGRESSIVE PREDOMINANCE OF THE DIVINE MODE OF THE GIFT OF WISDOM IN PRAYER
V. THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY GHOST AND THE BEATITUDES
VI THE CALL TO CONTEMPLATION OR TO THE MYSTICAL LIFE
THE DIFFERENT MEANINGS OF THE WORD "CALL"
II. INDIVIDUAL AND PROXIMATE CALL
IV. EFFICACIOUS CALL TO THE LOWER OR TO THE HIGHER DEGREES OF INFUSED CONTEMPLATION
THE GENERAL AND REMOTE CALL TO MYSTICAL CONTEMPLATION
I. THE THREE PRINCIPAL REASONS WHICH ESTABLISH THE GENERAL AND REMOTE CALL
A. The basic principle of the mystical life is the same as that of the common interior life
THE INDIVIDUAL AND PROXIMATE CALL TO CONTEMPLATION
I. THE THREE PRINCIPAL SIGNS OF THE PROXIMATE CALL
II. OBSTACLES TO THIS PROXIMATE CALL; ITS VARIETIES
THE CONDITIONS ORDINARILY REQUIRED FOR INFUSED CONTEMPLATION
1. Means offered to all by the Church
II. PARTICULAR OBSTACLES TO CONTEMPLATION
III. WHAT SHOULD BE THOUGHT OF SOULS THAT HAVE RECEIVED ONLY ONE OR TWO TALENTS?
IV. Is THIS DOCTRINE OF A NATURE TO LEAD SOME SOULS TO PRESUMPTION AND OTHERS TO DISCOURAGEMENT?
V. SOME THEORETICAL DIFFICULTIES
VI. VENIAL SIN AND IMPERFECTION, OBSTACLES TO DIVINE UNION
EXTRAORDINARY GRACES THAT SOMETIMES ACCOMPANY INFUSED CONTEMPLATION
II. CONFUSIONS TO BE AVOIDED IN EXPOUNDING THE TRADITIONAL DOCTRINE