9.27.2008

Scott Hahn spoke today in Minneapolis

I hadn't seen Scott since the last time he spoke here in 2004; it is always a blessing to see my old professor, mentor and friend. After his two talks about the Holy Name of God, oath swearing and covenant making, taking the name of the Lord in truth and sincerity, and the Eucharist as the paramount taking of God's name, I asked him a question. I asked him why taking an oath creates sacred family bonds.

Assuming that I could follow how fast he spoke, he answered quickly. I am not sure I understood all that he said. I don't remember all the words he used, but I think I have taken away the point of what he said. In my own words and with some extrapolation, this is the essence of what he said: that God's Word is effective; it does what it says. God is love and He is Family as a Trinity of Persons so the Word He speaks is The Word, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. From all eternity the Father fathers the Son; from all eternity He speaks His one Word. In heaven, God has always and will always give His Word, which is the Son.

God created so that He could share His life of love with us, creatures. He elevated us to make us His very sons and daughters in the Son and to make us part of His Trinitarian family. What God is doing for all eternity in Heaven He wills to do in creation. The means for achieving this is taking the name of God, swearing an oath. When we call upon the name of the Lord and enter into a covenant with Him, we become his children and enter into His family. When we take His name and give our word, He gives His Word and draws us closer into our relationship with Him. In other words, what God always does in the ever present we call eternity, He does in time
via oath swearing and covenant making. He gives Himself and shares His Trinitarian life in time through our faithful use of taking His Holy Name in Truth.

Dr. Hahn said it with a lot fewer words and referred to a paragraph of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (I think it was 300 something). Hopefully, I haven't botched what he said too badly.

Thankfully, Scott clarified via email his answer to my question. Here you can witness firsthand just how badly I botched his answer by comparing what I wrote above to what he wrote here. Here is what he wrote to me:
First, I referred you to the hugely important paragraph, CCC 236, where we read about the inseparable bond between the "oikonomia" of what God does is history and the "theologia," which refers to Who God is, from all eternity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit); the former reveals the latter, while the latter illumines the former. Second, the eternal communion of the one God-in-three-Persons consists of two eternal processions: 1. the procession of the Son (as the Word/Logos) from the Father's act of eternal generation -- by way of intellection (i.e., the Father's eternal knowing of divine Truth, Who is the Son); and 2. the procession of the Holy Spirit from the eternal act of spiration by the Father and the Son (i.e., the Filioque) -- by way of volition (i.e., the mutual act of the Father loving the Son, and the Son imaging/returning that love to the Father -- their mutual love, Who IS the Holy Spirit). Third, what God does in salvation history, by way of the divine covenant (i.e., speaking the word of promise and then swearing the oath that binds persons-in-communion; cf. Hebrews 6:13ff. and the two "unchangeable things in which it's impossible for God to prove false" -- the promise & the oath), is thus an historical revelation of Who God, as the eternal Trinity. This is almost exactly the way that it's stated in CCC 236: what God does reveals Who God is; and conversely, Who God is illuminates what God is doing throughout salvation history (speaking the WORD of promise & binding persons in covenant communion). In sum, covenanting is what God is doing throughout the economy of salvation history -- to impart divine kinship/communion to His people -- because a Kinship/Communion is Who God eternally is... I realize, of course, that this is still very dense and difficult (I offer a slightly simpler explanation in First Comes Love). In any case, I hope this helps.


Thanks a million, Scott!

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