Folia Theologica 21. (2010)
Barbour Hugh O.Praem.: The Cosmology of Catholic Communications: Postmodern Kerygma? A Reflection by a Disciple of SS. Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas
158 Hugh BARBOUR This media scientia, this "intermediate science" of judicial astrology links, is a ligamentum of physical science with metaphysics, that is, it shows how the intelligent workings of those beings who govern the heavenly bodies, and whose manner of existence is properly metaphysical and not natural accomplish the divine decrees in nature and offer signs to men of the order of this accomplishment. All of this is ordered to the love of God which of course is the end of the work of the concinator or preacher. St. Albert then goes on to give the divisions of the science of judicial astrology, revolutions, nativities, interrogations, the choice of favorable hours, to that which he calls quoting Ptolemy, the sublimitas astronomiae which is the imaginum scientia. He points out that this last is the part most abused by accursed necromancers to make themselves credible aliquatenus fide dignos. Albert is thus very careful to rule out most of the forms of the use of spells using images, written characters, and so on, but he accepts that there may be a use of these images that escapes the charge of idolotry or the influence of demons, even though he does not recommend its use: non commendo eas, sed neque videtur quod absque ratione debeant aliarum iniquitatem portare.8 He describes the working of such an image thus: forma eius sculpenda est sub hora electa et habebit effectum iussu Dei a virtute caelesti, eo quod imagines quae inveniuntur in hoc mundo sensibili ex quattor elementis, oboediunt caelestibus imaginibus, quarum quaedam sunt propre res inventas nomine et creatione, quidam vero mirablies longe sunt a nobis surguntque in aestimatione rationali cum profundatione intellectus.9 The science of images is precisely the use of what would now be called sympathetic magic, and it has its followers everywhere still, especially in Europe, in the use of homeopathic remedies, for example. But what St. Albert is asserting here is that an image on earth related to a heavenly body whose action is directed to the reality indicated by that image may work to move the natural desire or aversion of the passions, either inciting them or calming them. Is this not exactly what the media of communications accomplish? On the whole the media move their consumers to desire some good or to detest some evil, to enjoy or to pursue, to move or to rest. The emotional and reminiscent 8 Speculum Astronomiae, 17. 9 Speculum Astronomiae, 11.
