Aquinas on Christian kindship
Thomas Aquinas is among the most influential thinkers of medieval Scholasticism. His
ideas on natural law are borrowed from his interpretation of the works and assertions of Aristotle
(Hill 2016). This is primarily about the concept of the nature of human beings, that they are
political; hence, they will always seek to live in groups, and for order and peace to prevail, man
must be guided by law. Aristotle also believed that it is only through social life that individuals
can attain virtues like honesty, courage, and justice (Hill 2016).
In efforts to interpret and expound such premises, Aquinas sought to establish the link
between human reason and Christian faith. Essentially, he avowed that the two are separate but
intertwined. He explains that people have been designed by God to believe in what is self-
evident using reason. He, however, adds that people are also capable of making deductions from
self-evident propositions (Crowe 2019).
As we discussed in the previous discussion, on the natural law ideas, Aquinas believed
that God created nature and rules the world by "divine reason." Later, Aquinas described four
kinds of law (McInerny 1999): 1) Eternal law was God’s perfect plan, not fully knowable to
humans. It determined the way things such as animals and planets behaved and how
people should behave. 2) Divine law, primarily from the Bible, guided individuals beyond the
world to "eternal happiness", he then described that (3rd) kind of law is natural law; which he
explains as "the light of reason is placed by nature by God in every man to guide him in his acts."
Therefore, human beings, alone among God’s creatures, use reason to lead their lives. Finally,
the 4th kind of law according to Aquinas is Human Law. He went on and said, while natural law
applied to all humans and was unchanging, it could vary with time, place, and circumstance.
Aquinas defined this last type of law as "an ordinance of reason for the common good" made and
enforced by a ruler or government. He warned, however, that people were not bound to obey
laws made by humans that conflicted with natural law (Westberg 1994).
On the other hand, Luther thoughts on Christian kingship slightly varied from Aquinas’
ideas. Luther agrees with Aquinas that there are separate kingdoms; the worldly kingdom and
God’s kingdom (Alfsvåg 2016). However, Aquinas emphasizes the dominance of God’s kingdom
and Luther emphasized on separating both kingdoms, he said both each kingdom has its
importance, but he also justifies that Christians should satisfy God’s kingdom in private and
focus on worldly kingdom externally. Luther advocates for Christians to adhere to man’s laws.
According to Luther’s work (Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed (Von
welltlicher Uberkeytt) he explained his two-kingdom doctrine (Charles 2019). He expressed that
Christians belonged to two kingdoms, the Kingdom of God, and the temporal government, and
they are bound by covenantal statesmanship to both. It is also important to note that unlike
Aquinas, who underscored that God has significant influence over the worldly kingdom, Luther
expressed that Jesus should be excluded from the secular world (Charles, 2019).
Hooker, like Luther, believes that God is the architect of everything and that he given the
man the ability and choice to choose good over evil. He said God designed man to depend on
their natural reason; however, because of corruption, some men are unable to follow the
principles of natural law. This is what St. Peter also desires, when he says, “Ordinance of man.”
Human ordinance cannot possibly extend its authority to heaven and over souls, but belongs only
to earth, to the external intercourse of men with each other, where men can see, know, judge,
sentence, punish and acquit.1
1 Peter 2:13
Hooker also did not follow the ideas of Aquinas on the natural law having ultimate
supremacy over positive law, he said both are important and positive law are driven from the
natural law but he also believed that natural laws and the word of God should be the main rule
that governs all human actions. Regarding Christian kingship, Hooker, believed in the separation
of the worldly and the spiritual kingdoms (Torrance 1999). Hooker, as he wrote in his work,
believed that leadership and authority are commanded in the scriptures, therefore as part of
Christian kingship, people are expected to abide by positive law, which also exists to set about
justice (Finnis 2011). The only significant difference between Hooker’s and Luther’s
philosophical ideologies includes the fact that Hooker believed in Royal supremacy, a concept he
deemed necessary since he considered the English Church at the time as being corrupted by
catholic orders while Luther did not (Braybrooke 2001). While, Hooker was committed to
Christian covenantal statesmanship, however, he had to do so in a way that made the English
monarchy, the head of English church while also preserving the ancient purgatives of English
bishops (Chupp 2021). Hooker in his work, (The Works of That Learned and Judicious Divine,
Mr. Richard Hooker: with an Account of His Life and Death) said: “Natural laws direct in such
sort, that in all things we must for ever do according unto them; Positive so, that against them in
no case we may do anything, as long as the will of God is that they should remain in force”. 2
Similarities between Luther, Hooker and Aquinas ideas on natural law: All of them
believed in universal truth, which is part of natural law. They also believed that God is the
planner of everything and man being part of nature, man is inherent with natural law which helps
them distinguish good from evil (Hill 2016). They agreed that natural law also guides men to
2 Hooker, Richard, Izaak Walton, John Keble, and Walter Travers. The Works of That Learned
and Judicious Divine, Mr. Richard Hooker: with an Account of His Life and Death Third
edition ... Oxford: The University press, 1845.
understand justice. Hooker and Luther, like Aquinas, accepts that the natural law is aligned with
the principles of God and He wants everyone to follow those principles. They also say God send
us Bible to guide humans, but God also give men free will. Just like, Luther and Hooker, Aquinas
emphasizes that human beings have both rationality and free will (Thompson 1969). This means
that we can not only think and understand things, but we can also make decisions freely. They
agree that people do not follow those principle and going away from the natural law principle (in
a result of corruption). Hooker and Luther believed that natural law must have dominance over
positive law, but they do agree that positive law must also be followed to deliver justice and keep
men away from evil.3
Bibliography:
Alfsvåg, Knut. “Natural Theology and Natural Law in Martin Luther”, in Oxford Research
Encyclopedia of Religion, John Barton (ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2016
Aquinas, Thomas, Summa Theologica I-II, Q90 A.3
Braybrooke, David. Natural Law Modernized. Toronto [Ontario]; Buffalo [New York]; London
[England] : University of Toronto Press, 2001.
3 Ibid
Charles, J Daryl. “Natural Law and Protestant Reform: Lessons from the Forgotten
Reformer.” Pro ecclesia. 28, no. 3 (2019): 301–319.
Chupp, Jesse. “Early Reformed Christian Natural Law: Luther and Hooker.” Liberty University.
2021
Crowe, J. 2019. Natural Law and the Nature of Law. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge
University Press.
Finnis, J. 2011. Natural Law and Natural Rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Hill, J. L. 2016. After the Natural Law: How the Classical Worldview Supports Our Modern
Moral and Political Views. San Francisco: Ignatius Press.
Hooker, Richard. Of the Lawes of Ecclesiasticall Politie: London (1594) Amsterdam: Theatrum
Orbis Terrarum, 1971.
Hooker, Richard, Izaak Walton, John Keble, and Walter Travers. The Works of That Learned and
Judicious Divine, Mr. Richard Hooker : with an Account of His Life and Death Third
edition ... Oxford: The University press, 1845.
Thompson, W. D. J. Cargill, “The ‘Two Kingdoms’ and the ‘Two Regiments’: Some Problems of
Luther’s Zwei-Reiche-Lehre”, The Journal of Theological Studies, 20(1): 164–185. 1969
--------The Political Thought of Martin Luther, Brighton: Harvester Press. 1984
W. J. Torrance Kirby. "Richard Hooker's Theory of Natural Law in the Context of Reformation
Theology." The Sixteenth Century Journal 30, no. 3 (1999): 681-703.
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