In today’s readings, we move deeper into how God makes Himself known—through reason, conscience, and lived dependence. Thomas Aquinas begins by clarifying what it means to say that God exists in things: not as a part of them, nor as one being among others, but as the sustaining cause by which all things are present, active, and held in being. Augustine then turns inward, exposing how sin is often less about the object desired than the corrupt joy of shared rebellion, revealing how disordered love fractures both the soul and friendship. Finally, Calvin lifts our eyes to the created world itself, arguing that God has so openly displayed His glory in the structure and governance of creation that ignorance is no excuse—only suppression. Together, these readings show that God is neither distant nor hidden, but relentlessly present, confronting us through reason, memory, and the very world we inhabit.

Readings:

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 8 — On the Existence of God in Things (Articles 1–3, Combined)

Augustine of Hippo, The Confessions, Book 2, Chapter 9 (Section 17)

John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1, Chapter 5 (Sections 1–4)

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