Page |37 of many contingencies and challenges. treated “always as an end and never as a This leads Aquinas to develop his means only.”°° In Aquinas’s view, theology of marriage as a way of acting on this belief, and with the consolidating and stabilizing parental empowering grace of God, made it commitment, especially paternal possible for Christians to build on yet commitment, to their dependent analogically generalize their kin children. * altruism to all children of God, even Although neither Aristotle nor those beyond the immediate family, their Aquinas presented the full own children, and their own kin. These intergenerational scope of Cacioppo’s wider assumptions may be beyond. the interpretation of kin altruism and competence of science to assess. They inclusive fitness — that it must extend to entail a Biep toward metaphysical our children’s children and not just our speculation ot the Kirra serence would ds own — both perspectives comprehended better to avoid. Nonetheless, in the view the interlocking nature of kin altruism of Christian love developed in Aquinas, and the well-spring of care, long-term the seeds of a religious humanism — in human commitment. and hence some of this case a Christian humanism —began the rudimentary energies of human to form. morality. I have tried to illustrate how Of course, Aquinas and those insights from Aristotle and Aquinas can who followed him supplemented these Join math insigiats oy evelutlonary naturalistic observations with additional a arr barman derstondine o - epistemological presuppositions that renin ine Saisian understands © may seem strange to scientists. These lee. In posting thts, BUESé 1 Jpn tite included the idea that God works work of Stephen Pope oo d others m through nature as well as grace, hence presenting thts opiton. The Kitt of God is present in the kin altruistic Christian humanism found in Aquinas inclinations of parents and grandparents. makes ‘ possible or Cinstuanity . be He also assumed tha