Acts of the Virtues: The Contribution of Aquinas' Lectura on Matthew

At this conference, and in the publications of the speakers, there are many valuable discussions on infused and acquired virtue, and its end: the beatitudo of the human person. One thing that did strike me however, is the fact that many of these discussions are based on the Summa and the Summa alone, with a few notable exceptions, such as W. Mattison. In this paper, I propose the use of another source for the study of Thomas Aquinas’ views on virtue: the lectura on the gospel of Matthew. Despite certain disadvantages, a reading of the lectura contributes to our understanding of Aquinas’ views on virtue, and of how these views developed. First, I will explain the importance of this commentary. Then we will take a closer look at a section of the commentary, in which Aquinas discusses heroic virtue. As we will see, the Aristotelean framework is vital to understanding Aquinas’ perception of virtue. Based on these observations, I will further specify what contribution the lectura on Matthew can have for our discussions.