I know not how and why on earth did the whole idea of 'obediential potency' and that too of St Thomas Aquinas (along with his Summa Theologica) land up in the metaphysical class syllabus. However, it happens to be the last of the chapters and in a way I'm glad it did. I got an excellent chance to shake and throw quite a few of the second years out of the slumber and lethargy of 'prayer'... so long understood as 'list of things God ought to do'. For the past three days, they are really squirming in their seats for having learnt without any further clarifications that God does nothing!! All that is to be done is left to us!
The argument is simple: God as the first cause of everything will not go around meddling, repairing, modifying, adjusting, recreating the nature that he has given to his creation. For if he does so, he would certainly be a capricious God who keeps changing his own creation and himself, according to his own whims and fancy. Or from another perspective, he would have to acknowledge that what he created in the first instance was faulty! Thus God, as the first cause, does nothing ... now. If there is anything to be done (ex. removal of all corrupt politicians) is to be done by the secondary causes (of which human being is one). Of course, the secondary causes, can appeal to the first cause for assistance (to help or not to, is again God's choice). Thus anything and everything that happens ought to take place in, with and through the secondary causes.
Of course, the concept of 'obediential potency' or in other words, openness of the creature to let God, the first cause, to work through oneself is quite understandable and logically possible. Furthermore the idea of creation as rationales seminales, creative principles, rather than as finished products makes things very clear: the onus is not on God, but on us who have the potency to ...
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