Jaarboek Thomas Instituut 1995 - Thomas Instituut te Utrecht

THEOLOGY OF PROVOCATIVE RECEPTIVITY 35
awareness of a certain difference or distance between the basic data
and the actual, perceived reality, between e.g. people needing
government and having this kind of government, between people being
different and political and social structures of inequality. Or, in other
words, decisive is the presence or absence of an awareness of the
possibility (or even desirability) of change. Are the facts final and
unchangeable? Are history and time accessories to the facts or are they
the "space in which the perfectio agentis of each and all together
becomes anew realisable?" (24, p. 293). In naturalism one takes
accounts of the facts when thinking about reality, purpose, finis
ultimus, in realism one is determined by them.
De Grijs' answer to the question whether Thomas in his
political views in De Regno is a naturalist or a realist is a nuanced
one. Thomas is basically a naturalist, but he has not always maintained
this attitude and has lapsed occasionally into realism. In the case of
excessive tyranny Thomas holds a naturalist position, i.e. he indicates
alternative possibilities of action and foresees the end of tyranny. But
in the case of slavery Thomas accepts and defends the facts. Although
in his view there was no slavery before the fall - despite the fact that
there was inequality - and although after death and the final judgement
there will be no slavery either, in the meantime, in this life there is.
One has therefore to conclude that on this point Thomas is a realist,
be it that he tries to save his naturalism with juridical and
philosophical arguments that sadly fail (24, p. 291). In the case of
'normal' government Thomas does not always keep to his naturalism,
for on certain issues change seems to be not envisaged (24, p. 294).
De Grijs' judgement is interesting, not only because he
convincingly corrects views of some authors and contributes so to
historical theology, but also because he thinks Thomas' naturalism "in
principle still valid" (24, p. 293) and contributes so to systematic
theology. In order to appreciate this second contribution, one has to
realise that Thomas' naturalism is the complement to his
intellectualism, characterised by receptivity and openness (24, p. 256)
and that it is based upon the belief in creation (24, p. 258). In his
evaluation De Grijs does not pay much attention to this basis, but
concentrates on the complement. But it seems that some insights
related to creation, which he developed in Goddelijk mensontwerp
determine the judgement decisively. Thomas' intellectualism, or as he