176. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit and Their Dignity

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

The Problem of Ranking the Gifts #

• Whether the dignity of the gifts follows their enumeration in Isaiah 11
• Apparent contradictions: fear is enumerated last but Scripture emphasizes it as foundational
• The need to distinguish between different ways of measuring “worth” or dignity

Two Ways of Considering Gift Dignity #

Simply (simpliciter): According to their principles and the powers they perfect

• Wisdom and understanding are superior to science and counsel
• Science and counsel are superior to piety and fortitude
• Piety is superior to fear
• This ordering follows the hierarchy of virtues: intellectual > moral
• Contemplative gifts > active gifts

In a certain respect (secundum quid): According to their matter (the subject matter they address)

• Fortitude and counsel are preferred because they address difficult matters
• Science and piety address common matters
• Thus counsel and fortitude rank before science and piety in this ordering
• The matter makes them more needful even if the powers they perfect are lower

Fear as the Foundation #

• Fear is enumerated last but required first in the order of generation
• “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord” (Proverbs)
• Fear functions as a prerequisite disposition, not as a deficiency in excellence
• One must first remove oneself from evil (through fear) before one can do good (through other gifts)
• The philosopher requires “fear of being mistaken” as a beginning to wisdom, like Socrates

The Seven Gifts Correspond to Virtues and Powers #

• The four gifts of reason (wisdom, understanding, science, counsel) perfect the intellect
• These correspond to intellectual virtues: wisdom, understanding, prudence, and art (or judgment)
• The three gifts of execution (piety, fortitude, fear) perfect the appetitive power
• These correspond to moral virtues and their ordering

Key Arguments #

Objections to Standard Enumeration #

1. Fear is listed last in Isaiah 11, yet Scripture emphasizes it as supremely required by God (Deuteronomy 10:12; Malachi 1:6)
2. Piety appears penultimate yet Scripture calls it universal in utility (1 Timothy 4:8)
3. Science perfects judgment, which is superior to inquiry, yet counsel (which pertains to inquiry) is enumerated before science
4. Reason is more eminent than the desiring power, yet fortitude (appetitive) is enumerated before science (rational)

Thomas’s Resolution #

The dignity of gifts can be observed in two ways that do not contradict enumeration:

• Simply: The intellectual and contemplative gifts rank higher
• According to matter: Gifts addressing more difficult matters (fortitude, counsel) rank among the top even though they perfect lower powers
• Both orderings are valid; Isaiah’s enumeration reflects both considerations in balance

Important Definitions #

Donum (Gift) #

• A perfection of the soul granted by the Holy Spirit
• Distinct from virtue in that it disposes the soul to divine motion rather than to human reason alone
• Perfect all powers of the soul: intellective, appetitive, and the whole person

Dignitas (Dignity/Worth) #

• Can be measured “simply” by the excellence of the power perfected and the act produced
• Can be measured “according to matter” by the difficulty or importance of what the gift addresses
• These two measures need not align in enumeration

Ordo generationis (Order of generation) #

• The sequence in which perfections must be acquired or developed
• Distinguished from the order of perfection (which is superior)
• Fear comes first in generation because one must cease from evil before pursuing good
• But knowledge is more perfect than fear once achieved

Examples & Illustrations #

Socratic Fear and Philosophy #

• Socrates exemplifies the fear of thinking one knows what one does not know
• This fear is a necessary beginning to philosophical wisdom
• The philosopher must fear error before he can attain truth
• Father Bevan’s example: good teachers identify and correct mistakes first, which opens the mind to truth

Removing Error Before Teaching Truth #

• When a student arrives mistaken, the teacher must first remove the mistake
• Only then can the mind be opened to receive the truth
• This is the order of generation: error removed, then truth planted
• Though teaching truth directly would be preferable if the mind were not occupied with falsehood

Rumination and Philosophical Meditation #

• Boethius: “The philosopher is a ruminating animal”
• A philosopher may spend days or weeks meditating on a single sentence from a master
• This reflects the need to internalize and digest philosophical truths gradually
• Like ruminant animals that regurgitate food for further processing

Notable Quotes #

“The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.” (Proverbs 9:10)

“What does the Lord your God ask of you except that you fear the Lord your God?” (Deuteronomy 10:12)

“If I am the Lord, where is my fear?” (Malachi 1:6)

“Piety is useful for all things.” (1 Timothy 4:8)

“The philosopher must have a fear of being mistaken, a fear of thinking he knows what he does not know.” (Berquist, paraphrasing Socratic method)

“The business of the teacher is to confuse the issue… If the student doesn’t know that he was confused, he won’t know that his mind has been clarified.” (Berquist)

“The philosopher is a ruminating animal.” (Boethius)

Questions Addressed #

Q1: Are the gifts ranked according to their enumeration in Isaiah 11? #

A: Partly yes, partly no. The enumeration reflects two valid orderings: (1) Simply, wisdom and understanding rank highest, then science and counsel, then piety, fortitude, and fear. (2) According to matter, fortitude and counsel rank high because they address difficult matters, even though they perfect lower powers. The enumeration balances both considerations.

Q2: Why is fear enumerated last if it is so important? #

A: Fear is required first in the order of generation (one must flee evil before pursuing good) but ranks last in the order of perfection (knowledge is more perfect than fear). The enumeration follows the order of perfection, not generation. Fear is foundational but not supreme.

Q3: How do intellectual and moral gifts relate hierarchically? #

A: The gifts perfecting reason (wisdom, understanding, science, counsel) are superior simply, just as intellectual virtues surpass moral virtues. However, by reason of matter, the gifts addressing the most difficult matters (counsel in prudential matters, fortitude in arduous deeds) may be ranked highly even among the top gifts.

Q4: Is fear a deficient gift despite its foundational importance? #

A: No. Fear perfects the soul by disposing it toward God and away from evil. Its rank according to perfection does not diminish its necessity. In the order of generation, it must precede other gifts, making it indispensable despite ranking last in the order of excellence.