Papers by Peter Totleben
This is a translation of tract 4, disputation 3 of Gonet's "Clypeus theologiae thomisticae" (vol.... more This is a translation of tract 4, disputation 3 of Gonet's "Clypeus theologiae thomisticae" (vol.2, pp. 29-58) where Gonet discusses God's freedom while commenting on Summa theologiae, Ia, q. 19, a. 3.
This is a translation of Merkelbach's treatment of loans and usury in his moral theology manual S... more This is a translation of Merkelbach's treatment of loans and usury in his moral theology manual Summa theologiae moralis (2:604-19).
This is a translation of John of St. Thomas's articles on analogy from the Ars Logica of his Curs... more This is a translation of John of St. Thomas's articles on analogy from the Ars Logica of his Cursus Philosophicus.
This is a translation of Sylvester of Ferrara's commentary on Summa Contra Gentiles I.32-34 where... more This is a translation of Sylvester of Ferrara's commentary on Summa Contra Gentiles I.32-34 where he explains divine naming. I added explanations on some of the more difficult points that Sylvester raises: (1) how he reconciles St. Thomas's texts on the analogy of proportion/proportionality vs. the analogy of one-to-another/many-to-one to show that divine naming is both formally an analogy of proportionality while virtually being an analogy of one-to-another; and (2) how he explains the nature of the analogical concept that is abstracted from the analogates
A sympathetic yet critical overview from a Thomistic perspective of Dom Odo Casel's Mysterientheo... more A sympathetic yet critical overview from a Thomistic perspective of Dom Odo Casel's Mysterientheologie.
This paper analyzes Melchior Cano's understanding of the nature of theology.
Maximus the Confessor is famous for defending dyothelitism. In order to do so, he denied that Chr... more Maximus the Confessor is famous for defending dyothelitism. In order to do so, he denied that Christ's human will had "gnome" and choice (proairesis). Thomas Aquinas, however, affirms that Christ's human will had "liberum arbitrium" and its act (electio). I argue that the reason for this difference in opinion was an underlying difference in their action theories. This difference leads to different understandings of the exemplarity of Christ's humanity.
(UPDATE: 20-september-2020: This paper has been updated and greatly improved)
Here I defend the Justinian authorship of the hymn Ὁ μονογενὴς, which is used in the Byzantine li... more Here I defend the Justinian authorship of the hymn Ὁ μονογενὴς, which is used in the Byzantine liturgy. In order to do so, I consider the role of the Scythian monks in building bridges between east and west and in adapting theopaschite language to orthodox Chalcedonianism.
This paper gives an overview of the various approaches to the notion of participation in Thomisti... more This paper gives an overview of the various approaches to the notion of participation in Thomistic metaphysics. It ends with my own attempt to describe where participation fits into the science of metaphysics.
This paper is a critique of the action theory of Marin Rhonheimer. Here Ireject the view that tak... more This paper is a critique of the action theory of Marin Rhonheimer. Here Ireject the view that taking up the "point of view of the acting person" requires us to suppose that the moral object must have some basic intentional content. More positively, I attempt to give a correct description of the moral object while still maintaining the point of view of the acting person.
Teaching Documents by Peter Totleben
These are scripta from a course on the sacraments given to undergraduate seminarians.
This is the scripta from an undergraduate course on the sacraments taught in a college seminary. ... more This is the scripta from an undergraduate course on the sacraments taught in a college seminary. This is the first unit which gives an overview of some important points in the economy of salvation which we will need for the rest of the course.
These are scripta for a college theology class on the sacraments taught to undergraduate seminari... more These are scripta for a college theology class on the sacraments taught to undergraduate seminarians. This unit discusses the Liturgy.
These are the scripta for a unit on the sacrament of penance taught in a college theology class o... more These are the scripta for a unit on the sacrament of penance taught in a college theology class on the sacraments in a Catholic seminary.
This is a flowchart of St. Thomas' presentation of the order of the passions in Summa Theologiae ... more This is a flowchart of St. Thomas' presentation of the order of the passions in Summa Theologiae IaIIae, qq. 22-25. It is adapted from a similar chart (in French) which can be found on iaquinas.com
These are the scripta from an undergraduate course on (mainly) fundamental moral theology for col... more These are the scripta from an undergraduate course on (mainly) fundamental moral theology for college seminarians.
These are the scripta from a freshman undergraduate course that seeks to introduce seminarians to... more These are the scripta from a freshman undergraduate course that seeks to introduce seminarians to the Bible through an investigation of the overall story of Sacred Scripture.
This is a ready-to-print booklet on how to go to confession. It includes instructions, and examin... more This is a ready-to-print booklet on how to go to confession. It includes instructions, and examination of conscience, and reflections on the sacrament. This is particularly aimed at high school students.
This is a bibliography of spiritual reading. Its original audience was seminarians, and so it con... more This is a bibliography of spiritual reading. Its original audience was seminarians, and so it contains some suggestions about priestly spirituality, as well as a rather extensive selection of background for people who are preparing to engage in the ministry of spiritual direction and allied ministries of pastoral counseling.
This is version 2.1, updated on 11 July 2025.
Moral theology is the branch of theology that studies human actions so as to direct them to God, ... more Moral theology is the branch of theology that studies human actions so as to direct them to God, the enjoyment of Whom constitutes our true happiness and our final end. But what is the nature of human action? How do we describe a human action, and how do we determine if it is good (and therefore somehow constitutive of our final end), or evil (and therefore somehow destructive of our final end)? These problems have engendered a great deal of debate among Catholic moral theologians. These debates can get quite technical quite fast. Here we hope to provide an introduction that will help the reader to learn the basics that lie behind these debates and to understand the various matters that are at issue in them.
(NB: This is version 2.0 of this document, which was completed on October 7, 2019)
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Papers by Peter Totleben
(UPDATE: 20-september-2020: This paper has been updated and greatly improved)
Teaching Documents by Peter Totleben
This is version 2.1, updated on 11 July 2025.
(NB: This is version 2.0 of this document, which was completed on October 7, 2019)