THE ESCHATOLOGY OF THE MATURE THOMAS AQUINAS

Abstract

The renewal of Eschatology has been an ecumenical process that began at the end of the 19th century and continues to the present day. It is marked by a more precise expression of what Christian revelation really demonstrates in this regard. Also, it encourages an in-depth knowledge of the history of Theology, in order to be enriched with its values and not to dwell on deficiencies already verified in the past. This article has three aims: (1) to provide an overview of the anthropological elements upon which Aquinas based his Eschatology; (2) to summarize the main features of the Eschatology he wrote in the last decade of his life; (3) in the light of Aquinas’ insight, to introduce the analogy of mutilation as a tool for a better understanding of the intermediate state. The conclusion identifies the values and deficiencies of the Eschatology of the mature Thomas Aquinas.