Jaarboek Thomas Instituut 1997 - Thomas Instituut te Utrecht

AQUINAS AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE 31
he is aware of his poor knowledge of languages".
The second problem has to do with the manner of
communication: Muslims and pagans do not accept the authority of the
Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. So, unlike communication
with the Jews in which the Tenakh or Old Testament, and (in the case
of the heretics) the New Testament may serve as authoritative sources,
communication with Muslims and pagans is only possible on the basis
of natural reason. Now, the problem is that this natural reason is
defective in theological matters". This problem leads Aquinas to his
famous remarks on two ways in which the truth can be demonstrated:
by natural reason, and by faith, which goes beyond the powers of
natural reason.
In the sixth chapter, Aquinas plays the tune of a rather crude
apologetics. He opposes the Wisdom-character of Christian faith to the
deceptive character of the error of Muhammad. The faith of Christians
is well-grounded: it is based on the revelation of Wisdom, and
confirmed by signs such as miracles that show what exceeds natural
knowledge. The faith of Muslims, on the other hand, is credulous: it
is based on carnal desires and the power of arms. Unlike the Christian
saints, Muhammad has no miracles to boast of, and his book (which
praises itself as a miracle) does not exceed the power of natural
reason; it is a mixture of truth and falsity.
These are all traditional themes in Christian polemics against
Muslims; but Aquinas draws an important conclusion from them. The
reason why Muslims do not accept the authority of both Testaments is
that they are not allowed to read them, lest the deceptive character of
73 Corbin, O.C., p. 514 remarks: "Si la Somme contre les Gentils avait
visé les sujets rnusulmans du roi d'Aragon (intention missionaire) ou les
docteurs averroïstes de I'Université de Paris (intention apologétique), Ie style
... eût nécessairement appelé un développement particulier et un aveu plus
complet des Iimites de I'auteur".
74 ScG I, cap. 2: " ... quidam eorum, ut Mahumetistae et pagani, non
conveniunt nobiscum in auctoritate alicuius Scripturae, per quam possint
convinci, sicut contra Iudaeos disputare possumus per Vetus Testamentum,
contra haereticos per Novum. Hi vero neutrum recipiunt. Unde neeesse est ad
naturalem rationem recurrere, cui omnes assentire coguntur. Quae tarnen in
rebus divinis deficiens est", ed. Leonina, Vol. xm, p.6.