Jaarboek Thomas Instituut 1997 - Thomas Instituut te Utrecht

18 PIM VALKENBERG
Christian in the Middle Ages and a Christian in modem, pluralistic
society is very much apparent, is precisely the assessment of people of
other faiths". In the Middle Ages, the general idea was that most of
the people were Christians, and that those who did not follow the lead
of the Church, did so out of stubbornness. Theologians contemplated
the marginal case of the nutritus in silva (someone who is left in the
woods, and grows up without knowledge' of Christian faith) but the
general thought was that practically everybody could know that they
were to be saved by Christ. It goes without saying that this is a world
view radically different from ours. At that time, no one seemed to
bother very much about other peoples and cultures: to most of the
civilians, they were either indifferent or threatening. The famous
axiom Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus (there is no salvation outside the
Church) fitted in with this mentality very welf".
Aquinas seems to share this mentality when he deals with
disbelief as a vice contrary to the theological virtue of faith (Summa
theologiae II-II, qq. 10-16). For him, infidelitas is disbelief rather than
unbelief: a rejection of what should be believed rather than a lack of
assent". For us, who are impressed by the multitude of cultures and
religions as part of God's creation, the faith of those others would not
be perceived primarily as a form of unbelief, let alone disbelief. But
for Aquinas, someone who does not believe, willingly denies the truth
of Christian faith, and thus commits a sin excluding him or her from
salvation. Even those who, through no fault of their own, have heard
nothing about the faith, are condemned, albeit because of other
sins".
It is precisely at this point where the difference between the
seemingly callous mentality of the Middle Ages and the more
25 Cp. Pesch, Thomas von Aquin, chapter three: "Der Waldmensch
oder: die Welt des Thomas von Aquin", pp.52-65.
26 Cp. W, Kern, AujJerhaLbder Kirche kein Heil?, Freiburg 1978; E.
Schillebeeckx, Mensen als verhaal van God, Baarn 1989.
27 See the explanatory note in St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae,
volume 32: consequences of Faith (2a 2ae.8-16). Latin text, English
translation, lntroduction, Notes & Glossary Thomas Gilby O.P., London
1975, pp.38-39.
28 Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae II-II, q.lO a.1.