difference. However, we may observe that for all three scholars the
first mode deals with universal law and the second with virtuous
performance. While the existing hierarchy is significant for Thomas,
it is no longer relevant for modern thinkers.
We cannot at this point describe Thomas’s use ofagnoscoand
agnitioat length. He uses both the verb and the noun frequently,
continuing the tradition of Augustine and Bernard. Biblical phrases
likeagnitio deiandagnitio veritatisreceive a treatment that resembles
earlier authors. For instance, Thomas teaches inSumma theologiae
that‘God’s gifts whereby we are withdrawn from sin, are two: one is
the acknowledgement of the truth (agnitio veritatis), against which
there is the“resistance of the known truth”, when, namely, a man
resists the truth which he has acknowledged, in order to sin more
freely.’^112 This heteronomous character ofagnitioalso resembles the
theology ofRecognitions.
In sum, Thomas’s writings contain new features that are not
present in Augustine or Bernard. While the old conception of upward
recognition of the lord by the servant continues to dominate, Thomas
can userecognoscoto depict both the upward and downward move-
ment of recognition. Thomas’s discussion of moral debt also includes
a horizontal moral esteem that is a species of recognition. Thomas’s
terminology of commendation, benefits, and honour reveals the
feudal background; at the same time, the mutuality involved in
religious recognition adds new aspects to this picture. This is evident,
for instance, in Thomas’s reading of the recognition scene between
Jesus and Mary (John 20:16), as well as in his view that personal
dignity is not simply concerned with status but also with good
works that call for an adequate response. For Thomas, the proper
interaction in performing sacrifices manifests this new mutuality of
religious recognition.
As Thomas goes beyond Augustine and Bernard, we may ask
whether his contemporaries also proceed along these paths. It is
essential for the overall understanding of the later medieval period
to compare Aquinas with the developments of Franciscan theology,
the major discussion partner of Thomism. Bonaventure’s writings
will serve us in this regard. A contemporary of Aquinas, Bonaventure
(^112) SThII/2, q14 a2 resp.
76 Recognition and Religion