The objective of this article is to present research results on the Gnosticism, motivated by Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Gaudate et Exsultate. Gnosticism appears characterized as a knowledge system that aims to attain true gnosis, that is, true knowledge. The origins of the gnostic movement are not easy to be identified, but their vestiges can be already found in the philosophy of Plato, in the Jewish literature and in the apocryphal writings of the primitive Christianity. Fought as heresy, especially by (...) Irenaeus of Lion, the gnostic concepts have not been totally overcoming, being somehow rescued today and that has influenced the Christian way of life of many Catholics. Called by Pope Francis as an enemy of Christian holiness, we point out, in the development of the text, the main Gnostic concepts, its formation as a movement, diffusion in the Christian communities, and its concerns in the evangelist life of the Catholic Church, in the present times. (shrink)

Durante a história da Filosofia foram elaboradas muitas provas da existência de Deus. Este artigo visa abordar o pensamento de Tomás de Aquino na elaboração da sua Primeira Prova da existência de Deus, descritas na Suma Theologia e na Suma contra os Gentios. Para tanto, Tomás vai buscar na filosofia antiga, mormente em Aristóteles, recebendo e atualizando as argumentações sobre o Motor Imóvel aristotélico presente nas obras Física e Metafísica. Ambos concordam que existe movimento nas coisas sensíveis. Esta certeza advém (...) justamente das experiências dos sentidos, ou seja, da empiria. Tomás aceita a noção de que os seres se movem. O movimento é singularmente a passagem da potência ao ato. No entanto, Tomás foi buscar a causa desse movimento que nas suas argumentações é o Motor Imóvel, isto é, Deus. No fundo, o tomismo, em relação ao aristotelismo, pode ser apresentado como continuidade e diálogo: objetivo, coerente e científico. (shrink)

This article aims to rescue the principles of Natural Theology in the thinking of Thomas Aquinas regarding the possibility of a rational knowledge of God. Thomas, influenced by Aristotle's philosophy, will claim that for the reason he can arrive at the certainty of the existence of God. Certainty that is evident, but that needs to be demonstrated. To this end, it elaborates five ways, called evidence, to prove the existence of divinity, always based on the assumption that all rational knowledge (...) has its origin in experience. All the work of Thomas Aquinas has a continuity in contemporary philosophy, being studied and developed by several authors who give form to the thomist movement, particularly in dialogue with other sciences. (shrink)