Beatitudes

What is happiness and how do we attain it? Saint Thomas Aquinas (ca. 1226-1274) devoted much time to these questions. In studying them he always returned to the beatitudes as they are found in Matthew 5:1-10. They function as the framework for his theology of human happiness. This study presents that theology as it comes to the fore in Aquinas’ performance of his three tasks as a magister at the Parisian university: to read Scripture, to dispute theological topics, and to preach.
This study shows that Aquinas believes that the beatitudes describe a number of virtuous actions, the exercise of which is made possible by grace, specified in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. To all those observing the new law constituted by the beatitudes, a reward is promised in the form of eternal happiness. Any happiness that can be had in this life is at best an inchoate form of the reward of eternal happiness, which is described in the second part of each individual beatitude.

The article examines the question of the Mariological interpretation of the eight beatitudes contained in Mt 5:3-10. Christian theologians of all ages, from Clement of Alexandria to the authors of contemporary biblical commentaries, have proposed various interpretations of this biblical text. Among the multitude of interpretations developed throughout history, the Mariological aspect appears quite rarely. Yet, as Pope Benedict XVI observes, the very biblical Marian title “Blessed” should direct the theological thought to the Mariological aspects of this issue. In modern times, a very deep reflection on the subject was conducted by two great theologians of the XX century, J. Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) and H.U. von Balthasar. On the Polish ground, the task was partly undertaken by J. Tischner, who elaborated the theme of eight beatitudes in the key of the Marian pilgrimage of the nation. The present work is meant to deepen the Mariological-biblical analysis of the eight beatitudes and revive the discussion regarding this subject in the perspective proposed by Benedict XVI, to understand the beatitudes as a program of life for a modern Christian.

Es probable que no existan pasajes más estudiados desde distintos prismas que las bienaventuranzas que ofrece Mateo o Lucas. La paradoja de declarar felices a quienes no se encuentran en situaciones benéficas y la centralidad que ostentan en el mensaje evangélico han provocado que abunde la literatura en torno a ellos. La pretensión de este artículo es presentar una mirada panorámica a las dos versiones de las bienaventuranzas a la luz del trasfondo veterotestamentario de estos textos. Esta mirada al Antiguo Testamento nos permitirá captar las claves esenciales de las bienaventuranzas y aliviar sus aparentes contradicciones.

Probably there are no Biblical studies with more diverging points of view than those that examine the Beatitudes in Matthew’s or Luke’s version. Both their centrality in the Gospel and the paradox of declaring blessed who are not in comfortable situations have produced abundant literature. This paper presents a panoramic view of the two versions of the Beatitudes in the light of their Old Testament background, which allows us to grasp the essential characteristics of the Beatitudes at the same time as to alleviate their apparent contradictions.

Thomas Aquinas describes the Christian as homo viator: the “human wayfarer” or pilgrim on the journey of hope through this world to the heavenly city. This journey is vulnerable to “worldly sin” or “worldliness”: an excessive attachment to wealth, status, honors, prestige, and power. A major cause of apathy to the poor and underprivileged, worldliness treats our identity as purely this-worldly and therefore shuts the door to eschatological hope through subtle forms of presumption and despair. Drawing upon Aquinas and other sources in the Western theological tradition, I argue that we should retrieve worldliness as a moral category to better understand threats to hope. As a remedy to worldliness I advocate hope’s beatitude of poverty of spirit, suggesting that it both increases solidarity with the poor and helps us grow in the theological virtue of hope.

This thesis investigates feminist counterculture and race issues in Hettie Jones’ writing, more specifically in her three collections of poems, Drive, All Told and Doing 70, and her memoir How I Became Hettie Jones. It is possible to recognize hidden voices in the works of the Beat Generation women such as Jones, who began finding herself as a writer along with the movement and remained true to her writing which sought to spread awareness in relation to racial and gender discrimination throughout the decades that followed the post-war era. Being white and embedded in the African-American culture of a conservative New York, Jones chronicles her hardships and hopes as a woman, a mother, and a writer in the pages of her memoir and poems. Nowadays, discussions about the work of the Beat Generation women are being expanded in order to fill the gap in the history of the movement and to make everyone aware of discrimination and social inequality, especially in relation to race and gender.
Keywords: Feminism. Race. Counterculture. Hettie Jones. Beat Generation.

En méditant sur l’esprit des Béatitudes, nous entrons dans la spiritualité de Jésus, dont toute la vie et l’œuvre ont été de nous apporter Dieu, afin que nous le connaissions et l’invoquions. Or les béatitudes sont un concentré de sa spiritualité, ainsi qu’une biographie de Jésus. Si elles sont un autoportrait de Jésus, la première chose à faire, lorsque l’on veut méditer l’une d’entre elles, est de voir comment il l’a vécue. Les Évangiles sont d’un bout à l’autre la démonstration des béatitudes dans l’attitude du Christ. Jésus lui-même se propose comme modéle de pauvreté, de douceur, de paix, de pureté, de miséricorde, de serviteur persécuté, etc.

Dante’s dependence on scholastic theologians can explain the seemingly peculiar presence of the beatitudes in Purgatorio. In this essay we will first address how the beatitudes are a structural element of Purgatorio, and which theological sources may have inspired their use. This allows us to address the relation between each beatitude and the sin that has been purged. Together, these insights lead to the conclusion that in Purgatorio the beatitudes are markers of the process of moral transformation.

The essay proposes a reflection on the process of relecture through which the beatitudes, originally most likely belonging to the genre of prophetic speech, were gradually read as moral precepts, and subsequently as ascetic guidelines. In the Gospel of Thomas it is the elected disciple to be proclaimed blessed, notwithstanding external persecution and internal struggle. In the Acts of Paul those who give up this world, in the form of most radical ascetism, will benefit from the exquisite heavenly reward reserved to the chosen. The ongoing relecture of the authentic sayings in Q, in the canonical gospels and in the apocrypha also results in the reinterpretation of Jesus' identity.

In its Decree on the Training of Priests (Optatam totius), the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council called for the renewal of all academic theological specializations, especially moral theology:

Likewise let the other theological disciplines be renewed through a more living contact with the mystery of Christ and the history of salvation. Special care must be given to the perfecting of moral theology. Its scientific exposition, nourished more on the teaching of the Bible, should shed light on the loftiness of the calling of the faithful in Christ and the obligation that is theirs of bearing fruit in charity for the life of the world.

Even though a generation has passed since the Council gave this mandate, two marvelous tools have been promulgated in recent years by the Magisterium to guide the renewal, the “perfecting” of moral theology: the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catechismus Catholicae Ecclesiae) and The Splendor of Truth (Veritatis Splendor).  This latter tool is Pope John Paul II’s encyclical letter on fundamental moral theology.  This article will provide, first, an exposition of Chapter III in The Splendor of Truth titled “Morality and the New Evangelization,” ##106-108, and, second, a proposal derived from this segment of the encyclical which I have termed the “renewing approach” to Catholic moral theology.

On appelle « Sermon sur la Montagne » 2 (SM) les chapitres 5-7 de l'évangile de Matthieu (le texte parallèle de Lc 6,17-49, plus bref, est généralement désigné comme « Sermon sur la plaine », cf. v. 17). Le SM fait partie des textes les plus commentés du Nouveau Testament. De tout temps, il a suscité des interprétations originales qui en ont fait ressortir des aspects particuliers. Ces différentes interprétations, parfois contradictoires entre elles, continuent aujourd'hui encore à nourrir le débat autour de la signification de ce texte.

In Matt 5:9, Jesus tells his disciples: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" What is the meaning of peacemaker in the original context of the Matthean beatitude? "Peacemaker" is an obscure expression in the NT—it can only be found in Matt 5:9; its cognate verb is also rare, appearing only in Col 1:20. And given that the Jewish meaning of peace is theological and multifaceted, the task of interpretation is further complicated. The following essay is an exegetical analysis of Matt 5:9 for the purpose of illuminating the meaning of the expression peacemaker.

This study consists of two components: (1) a lexical study of "peacemaker", and (2) an exegetical analysis of the beatitudes in Matthew's gospel (Matt 5:1–10), with particular emphasis given to the meaning of Matt 5:9. The lexical study analyzes the use of "peacemaker" and related terms outside of Matt 5:9—in the NT, in the LXX, as well as the OT Pseudepigrapha. There is some indication that the meaning of the expression is not determined by the sum of its lexical components but by its surrounding context. While the expression refers to reconciliation in the writings of Paul, in the Septuagint and Pseudepigrapha it can also convey the broader meaning of a divine blessing that results in a state of well-being, as expressed by the Jewish concept of shalom.

The exegetical analysis of the beatitudes includes (1) an introduction of their setting, function, and arrangement within the Sermon on the Mount, (2) explanations of each beatitude, and (3) a fuller discussion of the beatitude concerning the peacemakers. An observation of the arrangement of the beatitudes reveals a chiastic structure in which the first and last beatitudes proclaim that the poor and those persecuted for the sake of righteousness will receive the kingdom of God. The second, third, and fourth beatitudes concern those in the kingdom who are in need, while the fifth, sixth, and seventh beatitudes relate to those who are in a position to help those in need. However, those who are in need in the seventh beatitude are not only the poor, the mourning, the hungry, or the oppressed––they are those who have committed offences and are in need of restoration. Therefore, the peacemakers refer to those who not only keep the peace, but those who initiate the process of restoring shalom in interpersonal relationships. In light of various teachings about interpersonal relationships in Matthew, peacemaking is also closely related to the ideas of reconciliation, forgiveness, and love for one's enemies (Matt 5:23, 38–42, 43–48). A blessing is pronounced upon those who are peacemakers, because they are the true children of God, who resemble God and who do the things God does. The essay concludes with some comments on the implications of the study and suggestions for contextualization. Those who participate in the activity of peacemaking can rightly share in the blessing of the peacemakers––they may truly be called the children of God.

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the relevance of the commentary for understanding Aquinas’ theology in general, and that of the beatitudes in particular. It does so by discussing the use of the concept ‘beatitudo’ in the commentary, and by studying in detail Aquinas’ remarks on merit, law, and reward, in relation to the beatitudes. This leads to the conclusion that the commentary can help us to clarify certain themes, as well as to understand the context and development of Aquinas’ theology. The beatitudes are a central theme in Aquinas’ treatment of human happiness, and the commentary on the gospel of Matthew is a highly relevant source for studying Aquinas’ thought on this Biblical concept.

There is a renewed interest in Thomas Aquinas’ interpretation of
the beatitudes. An important source for the study of the beatitudes
is Aquinas’ commentary on the gospel of Matthew. However, the
available editions of this commentary present a text that ignores the
oldest manuscript, and has omissions and deviations with regard to
this Basel manuscript. In this article, we offer an edition of that part
of the manuscript which contains the commentary on Matthew 5:1-
10. The critical apparatus has a double function: it records variant
readings, and it provides references to the Biblical, patristic, and
philosophical sources employed by Aquinas. While we await the
Leonine edition of the commentary on Matthew, the present text
can serve as a basis for studying Aquinas’ interpretation of the
beatitudes.

Hilary wrote a commentary on the Sermon on the Mount in his first work, the Commentarium in Matthaeum. Nevertheless, reflections on the various subjects covered in each beatitude are present throughout the entirety of Scripture, be it through the promises of the Word in the Old Testament or through those of the incarnated Son in the New, and they are intended to guide disciples on their path towards the Kingdom of Heaven and, therefore, salvation. Therefore, to understand Hilary of Poitiers’ vision of eschatological ethics that are present not only in the Gospel, but in Scripture as a whole, we must keep his facet as a seasoned biblical exegete in mind, tracing his analysis of each beatitude in the light of the Old and New Testaments, and examining the themes that are the object of each beatitude and how he approaches them throughout his works.

The single task of the Parisian masters of the thirteenth century was to read Scripture, a task they performed by way of the famous legere, disputare, praedicare. Although intimately connected these three are rarely studied in relation to each other. Thomas Aquinas’s sermons on the beatitudes (Matthew 5. 1–10) can be compared to his commentary on Matthew and the Summa Theologiae. This opens up a new perspective on the sermons, addressing some of the questions they raise. The edition of Aquinas’s sermons by Louis Bataillon is instrumental in performing this task and will therefore be considered in greater detail. The present article seeks to contribute to Medieval Sermon Studies by way of a more theological approach and to present to theologians the importance of a greater appreciation for the sermons of the masters.

“What does Jesus mean by the word “fulfill” in Matthew 5:17?” A long-standing debate exists among scholars, with an array of theories. 5:17-20 is a pivotal pericope, which may hold the key to understanding the Sermon on the Mount (5:2-7:28) and the book of Matthew as a whole. The key to understanding 5:17-20 is the meaning of Christ’s use of “fulfill.” This paper will explore this interpretation with an examination of scholarly opinion and a comparison between modern, Greco-Roman, and early Jewish legal hermeneutics. Christ means that He comes to fulfill the law typologically. The old law pointed toward the new. Christ comes to deliver a hermeneutic by which the people of God can interpret and apply God’s law to their contemporary context. The four basic principles of this hermeneutic are outlined in vv. 17-20, then expounded in the following “anti-theses” of 5:21-48, as well as the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, and by Christ’s later teachings and example. Christ’s law perfects and consummates the law of Moses by providing the perfect hermeneutic. The hermeneutic of obedience through faith (5:40; 7:12); the hermeneutic of the spirit and not of the letter (12:5; 22:34-40; 23:23).

This essay seeks to advance the position of Steven Porter, and John Coe on the minimizing and marginalization of the role of the Holy Spirit in churches, in terms of the theology of the Holy Spirit, with emphasis on regeneration, and indwelling of the Spirit.

Augustine’s sermons 53 and 53A deal with the beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5). These texts are two different sermons with different emphases, preached on two separate instances for different occasions. In both sermons, Augustine briefly addresses all the beatitudes, and then singles out one in particular for further discussion. The beatitude selected is then extensively analysed in both sermons in a part that has its own structure. Because the existing, mainly content-oriented division into chapters in Lambot’s edition (CCSL Est Ag 53 (2018) 119-147 * Augustinian Institute, Jacobskerkhof 2, NL – 3511 BL Utrecht 41) –in 16 and 14 chapters respectively– makes it difficult to identify the rhetorical arrangement of the sermons, the texts have now been examined on the basis of a new method, which does not initially focus on content but on form. This method is based on a two-pronged analysis of linguistic and Scriptural signals. Application of this method has demonstrated th...

Can an unconditional happiness for the mortals be based on the plane of historical reason? If the task of world-historical politics of the profane order is none other than happiness itself, this happiness is never the conditio sine qua non, since it is based upon the relative conditions of the historical order which is marked by transiency and insufficiency. Taking Kierkegaard and Plato as our main reference points, this article argues that the singular notion of beatitudes is irreducible to any theodicy of history, and that the arrival of beatitudes demands an eschatological opening of history to the true conditio sine qua non. Beatitudes can only be a gift that marks everything human with an irreducible finitude of being. Nothing of the world-historical politics raises to the arrival of true beatitudes, but only as an eschatological suspension of its law, and abandonment, in the sense that Meister Eckhart speaks of Gelazenheit.

Drawing on insights from neuroscience, psychology, Buddhism, and the Beatitudes of Jesus, this paper explores the role emotions play in influencing human responses to the ecological crisis. While political, technological, and economic factors contributing to this crisis are often analyzed, emotional factors tend to be neglected or underestimated. Humans may be suffering from a condition analogous to the " myopia for the future " described by Antonio Damasio which impedes both our perception of the crisis and our response to it. Traditional Buddhist psychology's analysis of the " three poisons " provides helpful insights into why humans may fail to respond to distressing information. At the same time, emotions have the potential to empower humanity to overcome the interwoven dynamics of denial, despair, and addiction and to facilitate a collective response to the ecological crisis. Joanna Macy has developed an integrated set of interactive, spiritual practices to enable persons to reconnect emotionally to the entire Earth community, overcome both despair and myopia for the future, and take meaningful action to heal the world. The Aramaic version of Matthew's Beatitudes as interpreted by Neil Douglas‐Klotz also models a spiritual process for overcoming despair by working with and through emotions to empower restorative action.

In this essay, I explore the political significance of depression, particularly as a prominent form of resistance to conditions of life under contemporary global capitalism. After noting the political context of the second beatitude, which suggests a form of mourning that bears witness to public suffering, I assert that under the current dominance of the disease model, depression has lost its political voice. This loss is of grave concern given evidence that the culture of late capitalism (neoliberalism) has initiated a global epidemic of depression. I reframe depression as the final cry of souls diminished under these conditions. Finally, I denote the qualities of such souls, illustrating with a pastoral psychotherapy case summary. A dream presented during the termination phase not only provides a clinical presentation of the attributes of souls under neoliberal governance, but suggests how voice may ultimately be restored even when depression has become unconscious.

The formulas אשׁרי and ברוך appear in the Psalter often in conspicuous places. All these significant places are listed in tables in the article and the incidence and function of each of these instances are discussed. The main focus of the investigation is, however, on the analysis of those psalms in which both formulas occur together. Such instances of simultaneous occurrence of macarism and eulogy are not only found in the closing psalms of Parts I–IV of the Psalter (Pss 41; 72 [verbal form]; 89; and 106), but also at the end of Part V (Pss 144[–145]) before the final Hallel (Ps 146–150), and also in the mammoth Ps 119 (located in the centre of Book V). This state of affairs can hardly be accidental; it is much more probable that the double address in these psalms in a horizontal (macarism) and vertical (eulogy) direction is indicative of a compositional and theological intention. Since they are located in contexts of teaching and praise, these terms point toward the basic dimensions and functions of the Psalter as a composition. On top of that, they bring – against the background of Deut 33 and 1Kgs 10 – Davidic-Salomonic perspectives to the Psalter and enhance the fivefold structure of the Psalter, creating a clearer analogy between
the Psalter and the Pentateuch.

تتناول الدراسة مفهوم السعادة العقلية عن فلاسفة الإسلام بالتركيز على الفارابي وابن رشد، وتركز على دور الفلسفة كطريقة في الحياة في الوصول إلى هذه السعادة، وتمييز فلاسفة الإسلام بين المفاهيم العامية الشائعة عن السعادة والمفاهيم الفلسفية، وتكشف عن نخبوية المفاهيم الفلسفية لكن مع بيان ضرورتها

In this essay, I explore the political significance of depression, particularly as a prominent form of resistance to conditions of life under contemporary global capitalism. After noting the political context of the second beatitude, which suggests a form of mourning that bears witness to public suffering, I assert that under the current dominance of the disease model, depression has lost its political voice. This loss is of grave concern given evidence that the culture of late capitalism (neoliberalism) has initiated a global epidemic of depression. I reframe depression as the final cry of souls diminished under these conditions. Finally, I denote the qualities of such souls, illustrating with a pastoral psychotherapy case summary. A dream presented during the termination phase not only provides a clinical presentation of the attributes of souls under neoliberal governance, but suggests how voice may ultimately be restored even when depression has become unconscious.
Keywords: Depression, Melancholy, Neoliberalism, Capitalism, Political resistance, Soul

Translating Greek words into an archetypal language of Creation provides a method of conversing with people who hold diverse faith perspectives. The visual archetypes offer common ground with which to share spiritual understandings in today's global community.

The article provides a brief analysis of the beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12). Examines the use of the beatitudes' literary form in the Old and New Testament, indicates the importance of adapting the beatitudes to the conditions of our time and living them out
in everyday life. It discusses the relationship of the beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount with Old Testament texts and the actual situation of a person, with a special focus on the linguistic and literary features of the Sermon, the purpose of proclaiming the beatitudes, and the mention of God's Kingdom. It also considers the use of the terms like «the poor in spirit», «justice», «charity», «the pure in heart», «sonship», peacemakers» etc. It is demonstrated that the principal ideas expressed in the beatitudes should be the basis of every human life. The author emphasizes that the implementation of principles of the Sermon on the Mount can transform the human society, while other ways and means, opposite to the Gospel, will only lead to new difficulties.

In Practice in Christianity, Søren Kierkegaard's pseudonym, Anti-Climacus enters into an extended engagement with Matthew 11.6, ‘Blessed is he who takes no offense at me’. In so doing, he comes to an understanding that ‘the possibility of offense’ characterises the ‘crossroad’ at which one either comes to faith in Christ's revelation or rejects it. Such a choice, as he is well aware, cannot be made from a neutral standpoint, and so he is led to propose that it is ‘the thoughts of the heart’ (i.e. a person's disposition) that constitute the pivotal factor in determining whether or not God will reconcile a person into the Christian faith. In this paper, I discuss Anti-Climacus' interpretation of Mt. 11.6 and consider his reasons for interpreting a person's predisposition as being so decisive for faith.

This book will help you reflect on some of Jesus’s first words, as well as his last, and ponder what the Bible says about the spiritual life. It explores the meaning of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, and of Jesus’s dying words spoken from the cross. It also unpacks the fruit of the Spirit and delves into the seven deadly sins. At the start, Jesus tells us how to live a blessed life. At the end, we see how his own blessed life concluded. In between, we learn how to be blessed ourselves as we die to sin and live for him. Edited by Lee Gatiss, with over 30 contributors from around the world.

A partir de una revisión de los modelos antropológicos del Context Group, y al avanzar hacia una crítica del modelo de “bienes limitados”, el
autor argumenta que las Bienaventuranzas deben ser entendidas como proclamaciones de gracia, no de honor; como expresión de júbilo ante bienes ilimitados, no como aforismos de reputación y dignidad. La misericordia enunciada en Mt 5,7 es entonces un don ilimitado, una gracia no enmarcada en las condiciones retributivas aún presentes en el primer Evangelio, pues esto no correspondería a la visión libre del Dios Abba que Jesús proclamaba. La reflexión teológica al final del artículo puntualiza esta distinción.
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Based on a review of the anthropological models of the Context Group, and advancing towards a critique of the model of “limited goods,” the author argues that the Beatitudes should be understood as proclamations of grace, not of honor; as an expression of joy at unlimited goods, not as aphorisms of reputation and dignity. The mercy enunciated in Mt 5,7, therefore, is an unlimited gift, a grace not framed in the retributive conditions still present in the first Gospel, because this would not correspond to the free vision of the God Abba that Jesus proclaimed. The theological reflection at the end of the article points out this distinction.