The Sense of Mystery: Clarity and Obscurity in the Intellectual Life

by Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange

The Sense of Mystery highlights what is clear and what retains the character of mystery in the traditional and Thomistic solution concerning the great problems pertaining to our knowledge in general, to our knowledge of God (whether naturally or supernaturally attained), and to questions pertaining to grace. St. Thomas has fear neither for logic nor for mystery. Indeed, logical lucidity leads him to see in nature those mysteries that speak in their own particular ways of the Creator. Likewise, this same lucidity aids him in putting into strong relief other secrets of a far superior order—those of grace and of the intimate life of God, which would remain unknown were it not for Divine Revelation.

Genres: Theology, Philosophy, Catholic

346 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1934

About the author

Réginald Marie Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. (February 21, 1877, Auch, France – February 15, 1964, Rome) was a Catholic theologian and, among Thomists of the scholastic tradition, is generally thought to be the greatest Catholic Thomist of the 20th century. He taught at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, commonly known as the Angelicum, in Rome from 1909 to 1960.

Father Garrigou-Lagrange initially attracted attention when he wrote against the theological movement later called Modernism. He is also said to be the drafter or "ghostwriter" of Pope Pius XII's 1950 encyclical Humani Generis, subtitled "Concerning Some False Opinions Threatening to Undermine the Foundations of Catholic Doctrine."

He is best known for his spiritual theology. His magnum opus in the field is The Three Ages of the Interior Life, in which he propounded the thesis that infused contemplation and the resulting mystical life are in the normal way of holiness of Christian perfection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald...

Reviews

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange provides a level of depth and subtlety to the matters of philosophy and theology against those who unknowingly seem to advance theological positions that would nullify the structures of reality. Does the content of the book live up to the title of the book though? Through the definition and use of chiaroscuro, he can show the dynamic tension between various points of theology and our walk through it. Toward the end, you will find nuggets of a more practical nature of how to live according to that "sense of mystery" and those points of tension mentioned throughout the book.

[Silvio]

Ich habe nur den ersten von zwei Teilen des Buches über den Sinn des Geheimnisses gelesen. Den zweiten Teil über die Beziehung zwischen Natur und Gnade habe ich vorerst übersprungen, daher vorerst keine Bewertung!