See:
and search on 'capax'.
Here's a "fair use" quote of that paragraph in the page (highlights mine):
Richard Muller is a scholar that reformed persons should know. In a recent book by Muller, Christ and the Decree: Christology and Predestination in Reformed Theology from Calvin to Perkins (1986, Labyrinth Press), his apology for scholastic orthodoxy, Muller makes this insightful remark, which is a good come-back to our Neo-Orthodox friends: "...the dictum finitum non capax infiniti (translated loosely as "the finite mind is unable to comprehend the thought of the infinite") used by later exponents of Reformed doctrine... does not appear to have been used by Calvin himself. Several modern scholars have argued that the phrase is not even a proper description of Calvin's doctrine.... The phrase finitum non capax infiniti is better rendered `the finite is unable to grasp the infinite.' As Oberman argued of Calvin, the inverse, infinitum capax finiti reveals the positive implication of the doctrine. The infinite God grasps finite human nature sola gratia" (p. 21). That's worth re-quoting.
End quote.
So, God the Son has grasped his human nature and
... in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
(Col 2:9)
.JPG)
And so we can all say Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThe phrase FINITUM NON CAPAX INFINITI translates NOT as "the finite mind is unable to comprehend the thought of the infinite". Literally, the phrase means "finitude cannot grasp or contain infinity". Your translation subjectivates and mentalizes the issue, so when you quote Col. 2:9 this phrase becomes merely a mental or a subjective issue, theologically speaking, your translation Zwinnlianizes the issue. The Colossians text could, however, also lead to Luther's insistence that the real physical bread and wine contain Christ like stone contains heat. The quotation FIINITI NON CAPAX INFINITI has a parallel in Bonaventura's IMPOSSIBILE EST INFINITA ORDINARI=Normal or ordinary reality cannot be infinite. Well, not only thhe Bible refutes this contention. Also Giordano Bruno does, as also Jacobi, and Hegel. Christians can be guided by Scripture. But Christians do not do themselves a favor by claiming: Philosophy has nothing do with faith. Why irrationlalize Christianity needlessly? The Gospels, Paul, Luther, Callvin, certainly claimed, as did Bruno, Jacobi, Hegel and others, that thhe faith and reason do sit at the same table, indeed, correct reasononing is the only plausible religion.
ReplyDeleteThe "mentalizing" appears in the quote from Muller. I haven't traced back the accuracy of all these levels of quotations. The later rendition by David Hall appears to recognize that "mentalizing" is not what's meant, and implicitly translates the phrase in terms of "natures." The finite nature does not "grasp," or "encompass" the infinite nature.
ReplyDeleteHowever, my quote of Col 2:9 is intended to show that the supposed positive statement of "finitum non capax infiniti," that is, "infinitum capax finiti," actually does NOT comport with the negative statement, but contradicts it in the case of the Incarnation. The "infinitum capax finiti," in the case of Christ, as represented in Col 2:9, precisely means "finitum capax infiniti."
Reviewed. I need to rethink all these arguments and counter-arguments -- some day.
ReplyDelete