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Summa Theologiae · II-II, q. 2

Question 2. Of the Act of Faith

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Second Part of the Second Part. 10 articles.

Read in the reading room → This question at New Advent

Text: Summa Theologiae, Project Gutenberg #18755, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. The Second Part of the Second Part of the Summa in the English Dominican translation (first printed 1911 to 1925; second and revised edition from 1920). A sample check on 2026-11-09 against pre-1931 printings at the Internet Archive (first printings of 1915 and 1916 and the second and revised edition of the 1920s) found that the article text matches, with no 1947 introduction, synopsis, or index. Question and article numbers were added by the transcriber. Rights: Public domain (US)

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We must now consider the act of faith, and (1) the internal act; (2) the external act.

Under the first head there are ten points of inquiry:

(1) What is "to believe," which is the internal act of faith?

(2) In how many ways is it expressed?

(3) Whether it is necessary for salvation to believe in anything above natural reason?

(4) Whether it is necessary to believe those things that are attainable by natural reason?

(5) Whether it is necessary for salvation to believe certain things explicitly?

(6) Whether all are equally bound to explicit faith?

(7) Whether explicit faith in Christ is always necessary for salvation?

(8) Whether it is necessary for salvation to believe in the Trinity explicitly?

(9) Whether the act of faith is meritorious?

(10) Whether human reason diminishes the merit of faith?

Articles

  1. Whether to Believe Is to Think with Assent?
  2. Whether the Act of Faith Is Suitably Distinguished As Believing God, Believing in a God and Believing in God?
  3. Whether It Is Necessary for Salvation to Believe Anything Above the Natural Reason?
  4. Whether It Is Necessary to Believe Those Things Which Can Be Proved by Natural Reason?
  5. Whether Man Is Bound to Believe Anything Explicitly?
  6. Whether All Are Equally Bound to Have Explicit Faith?
  7. Whether It Is Necessary for the Salvation of All, That They Should Believe Explicitly in the Mystery of Christ?
  8. Whether It Is Necessary for Salvation to Believe Explicitly in the Trinity?
  9. Whether to Believe Is Meritorious?
  10. Whether Reasons in Support of What We Believe Lessen the Merit of Faith?

Also online, linked only: the same translation at New Advent and the Latin text at Corpus Thomisticum. Neither is copied here.

Source: Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part. Project Gutenberg #18755. Project Gutenberg record. Public domain in the USA. Outside the U.S., check local copyright rules. Project Gutenberg notices retained. The full Project Gutenberg license is kept in the hosted text.