Thomas Aquinas and the metaphysics of miracle

Abstract

At the basis of Saint Thomas Aquinas' metaphysics of the possibility of miracles is the claim that if God is the omnipotent creator of all that is, then God can certainly accomplish new things in nature that seem contrary to or outside the order He has established in nature through creation, simply because He has established that order and is not subject to it. The main goal of this article will be to clarify this simple claim. To do so, I will show how Aquinas' understanding of miracles is deeply connected to his metaphysical doctrine of providence, which sets the terms for speaking about God's actions. In addition, I will analyze Aquinas' use of a particular metaphysical notion he introduces to speak of the possibility of miracles, namely, that of obedient potency, a key to understanding the metaphysical depth of his considerations on miracles.