The Beatific Vision in the Synopsis Purioris: Its Medieval Context

Abstract

This article explores the background to the discussion of the beatific vision found in the Synopsis Purioris Theologiae (1625) by comparing what is found therein with several treatments of the topic by prior and contemporary theologians at the University of Leiden. This historical context reveals the distinctive contribution offered by the SPT, which primarily consists in its engagement with debates found in medieval scholasticism concerning the beatific vision. By surveying two exemplary thinkers from the medieval era, Thomas Aquinas and John Duns Scotus, in consideration with what was found in the SPT, an example is provided that displays the eclectic appropriation of medieval sources within the Reformed Orthodox tradition.