BONUS|Grace, Predestination, & Sin w/ Dr. O’Neill

Summary

Part One: Should Catholics believe in Predestination? What are the competing views? Why did several 20th century Thomists seek to update the traditional Thomistic doctrine on the subject? How does Banezianism differ from Calvinism? Dr. Taylor Patrick O’Neill joins us to discuss these questions. He draws from his new, detailed book on the subject: Grace, Predestination, and the Permission of Sin: A Thomistic Analysis.

Part Two: Is Domingo Banez really a reliable interpreter of St. Thomas or does he overlay an exotic system on top of what St. Thomas actually teaches? In part two, we examine three teachings of Banez: (1) physical premotion, (2) sufficient grace and efficacious grace, and (3) sin and reprobation. Dr. O’Neill ably defends a traditional Banezian position, arguing that there is nothing in Banez that is not first (implicitly) in St. Thomas.

Guest Bio

Dr. Taylor Patrick O’Neill is an assistant professor of religious studies at Mount Mercy University. He received a PhD in systematic theology from Ave Maria University and an MA in historical and systematic theology from the Catholic University of America. His first book, Grace, Predestination, and the Permission of Sin: A Thomistic Analysis was recently published by Catholic University of America Press. He is married with four children.

Show Outline

In the first segment, Dr. O’Neill explains the origins of his book and how he became interested in these topics. He describes the De Auxilius debate of the 17th century and outlines the territory for 20th-century discussions of Predestinations. He is clear that Catholics are free to disagree about these theological issues, though the perennial tradition affirms some form of predestination.

In the next segment, Dr. O’Neill explains some essentials of the Banezianism position (or what I refer to as the traditional Thomistic position). Next, he describes the updated view of various 20th-century Thomists such as Francisco Marin-Sola and Jaques Maritain. Helpfully, he gives an overview of their critiques of the traditional Thomist position.

In the final segment, Dr. O’Neill outlines some important points in response to the 20th century Thomists. He aims to show the traditional Thomistic position is still defensible and that the critiques can be answered. I also press him on how this view is distinguished from Calvinism.

Resources Mentioned

Grace, Predestination, and the Permission of Sin: A Thomistic Analysis by Taylor Patrick O’Neill

Predestination by Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange

The episode of Catholic Answers Live with Gary Michuta that I played a clip from at the beginning of the podcast

Sacradoctrinaproject.org

Subordinated Causality As Illustration Of Philosophy’s Service To Theology (Essay) by Taylor Patrick O’Neill

Divine Premotion (article) by Dr. David Oderberg

Molinism vs. Banezianism: A Debate (the Sed Contra Podcast)

Related Episodes

Ep. #19– Problem of Evil (Part 1) with Dr. Taylor O’Neill [Interview]