Anatomy of Transcendence

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Man is created by God for an eternal glory that surpasses his nature, and he is called even now to a graced participation in divine life that draws him above and beyond himself, conforming him to the one in whose image he is made. In his theological writings, Thomas Aquinas explored this “order of excess” that characterizes God’s elevation of the rational creature, discerning in its most extreme instances—mystical transport, ecstasy, and rapture—the essential contours of the ordering of Christian life to the transcendent union of beatific vision. This same ordering is witnessed in Aquinas’s own experience, where toward the end of his life he was raised to a contemplative vision surpassing all language and further study.

In Anatomy of Transcendence, Peter A. Kwasniewski examines the intersection of Aquinas’s theological writings and mysticism, establishing a vocabulary and topography for the Angelic Doctor’s study and experience of ecstasy and excess in God’s raising of the human mind to divine things. While drawing on the full scope of the saint’s corpus, the study pays particular attention to his engagement with Scripture—especially the rapture of Paul related in 2 Corinthians—thus contributing to the recovery of Aquinas not only as spiritual theologian, but also as biblical theologian.

Praise for This Book

“‘Nothing was made for something less noble than itself.’ St. Thomas repeats this maxim, characteristic of the medieval and Christian worldview, throughout his works. For him, the philosopher and theologian par excellence, man is made for what is above. We are meant to rise, to be caught up in the immensity of God. Kwasniewski guides the reader through a meticulous, textually based, historically contextualized, and theologically nuanced study of the themes of excess and rapture in St. Thomas. Anatomy of Transcendence makes a real contribution to the study of Thomistic spiritual and mystical theology.” —DYLAN SCHRADER, Veterum Sapientia Institute

“Aquinas has a reputation for a bloodlessly intellectual approach to theology and the Christian life. The reputation is unjust, but understandable given the topics and aspects of Aquinas’s work that most of his commentators focus on. Kwasniewski’s fascinating book does a real service in drawing attention to the mystical and affective aspects of St. Thomas’s thought.” —EDWARD FESER, Pasadena City College

“In Anatomy of Transcendence, Peter Kwasniewski has written an in-depth study of Thomas Aquinas’s theology of rapture, spiritual transport, and excessus mentis, providing a worthy companion volume to his previous work, The Ecstasy of Love in the Thought of Thomas Aquinas.” —LAWRENCE FEINGOLD, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary

“For those who think of Thomas Aquinas only as a dry scholastic author, Kwasniewski’s examination will come as a welcome surprise. It is always appreciated when a scholar takes up topics in Thomas’s corpus that have not yet garnered the attention they deserve. Thanks are due to Kwasniewski for daring to go where too few have tread.” —RANDALL B. SMITH, University of St. Thomas