Thomas Aquinas in 50 Pages: The Layman's Quick Guide to Thomism

by Taylor R. Marshall

Have you ever wanted to study the theology of Thomas Aquinas, but were intimidated? This is the perfect book to quickly and simply introduce you to the distinctive teachings of Saint Thomas' philosophy and theology.

Genres: Philosophy, Catholic, Religion, Theology, Nonfiction, Biography, Christian

58 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Taylor Marshall reads, reads, and reads. And then he writes.

He is the President of the New Saint Thomas Institute.

Dr. Marshall earned BA in Philosophy from Texas A&M University, an MAR in Systematic Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary, a Certificate in Anglican Studies from Nashotah Theological House, and an MS in Philosophy from the University of Dallas.

He completed a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Dallas with the thesis “Thomas Aquinas on Natural Law and the Twofold Beatitude of Humanity.”

He lives in Colleyville, Texas with his wife, Joy, and eight children.

Reviews

[Pop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book for an introduction to St. Thomas

I selected this book as an introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas and to determine whether I would want to read more about him and his writings. Marshall has stirred my interest and has recommended several books to begin with before delving straight to St. Thomas first.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books by Taylor Marshall kept showing up in my recommended reads both on Amazon and on Goodreads. I wanted to give his writings a try but not dive in too deep. I should not have been hesitant. It was interesting that a booklet of 68 pages could have 13 distinct chapters and yet it does. Those chapters are:

Why You Should Read This Book
The Life Of Thomas Of Aquino
How Is Philosophy Different From Theology?
How To Think Like Thomas Aquinas
Does God Exist?
Can We Know God?
The 8 Attributes Of God
What Is An Angel?
Humans: Are We Angels Or Beasts?
How Can You Become Virtuous?
Natural Law And Government
List Of Books On Aquinas For Beginners
Your Vocab List For Thomas Aquinas

I was surprised with home much information that Taylor could pack into this volume. Some scholars have spent their entire careers reading, teaching and writing about Thomas of Aquino, and yet this volume can serve as a great introduction to the man and his through. It can server as a good reminder for those who studies this years ago, or for a budding scholar. It will serve as the beginning but leave the reader hungry for more. Thankfully we are provided a great list of materials to continue on from here. And that is my review of this book in 225 words.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.

(Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: A Year of Reading Intention - Catholic Reading!)

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas Aquinas in 50 Pages is exactly what it says on the cover. It's very accessible, and covers a lot of ground. The biography of Thomas Aquinas was excellent, and so was the metaphysical section. The part on the Five Ways seemed a bit off at first, the descriptions were a little too accessible and that made them sound like the weaker versions that the New Atheists like to share, but then the author saved it by summarizing the steps through which Aquinas arrived at them, which clarifies that they are grounded in his metaphysics and are not scientific postulates as the positivists would understand them.

It gets a bit weaker towards the end, when it comes to the virtues. I had a feeling that this section neglected the why. Why, for example, are sins against temperance the most disgraceful sins? Why are the three theological virtues required to enter Heaven? Of course, in a short introductory text, you cannot expect a thorough treatment of every possible question, but I think the virtues were the wrong place to make ommissions.

All in all, this was a very good introduction to Saint Thomas Aquinas. It's easily understandable, but never comes across as condescending.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well organized and presented abbreviated version of St Thomas' writings. Having ploughed through the Summa some time ago, this work can serve as a a good refresher or an introduction to a Thomist newbie.

[Scot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grateful for this concise overview of Thomas Aquinas from Dr. Marshall. I original picked up the Summa theologica and was quickly overwhelmed by the format and the content. After reading this 50 page book and using the tools and advice in it’s conclusion I feel like I can step into the deep end of the Summa Theologica and grasp the concepts presented in it. My only complaint is that I felt that Dr. Marshall often went into his own belief system rather than staying impartial to communicating the beliefs of Aquinas, but had I written this book, I’m certain I would have struggled to not do the same.

[Ciarán · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers a gentle introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas, that still packs a lot of theological punch. If you are considering delving into the Summa, start here first and reread it a few times. Dr. Marshall offers the reader a helpful guide as to what to read next upon completing this book. Even if one never planned to pick up the Summa after reading, this book alone contains a lot of information which will help Catholics to practice their Christian spirituality.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marshall gives a solid and pithy introduction to Thomas providing a brief biography followed by discussions of philosophy and proofs for the existence of God, angels, virtues, natural law, and more.

A wonderful starting point for further reading on the Angelic Doctor.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Philosophy means, “love of wisdom” and theology means, “study of God.”

Philosophy regards natural knowledge and theology regards supernatural knowledge. We might also say that philosophy pertains only to what we can know by raw reason, whereas theology pertains to truths known through prophecy or divine revelation. Philosophy is the body of knowledge that we can know by reason. Theology is the body of knowledge that we can know by divine revelation.

For Thomas, philosophy was the “handmaiden” of theology. This means that the power of reason and the truths known by reason are able aid and assist men in theology. The key is to understanding Thomas Aquinas is seeing philosophy and theology as distinct but not unrelated.

The examples on the left are the philosophical truths known by reason. The examples on the
right are theological truths known through Divine Revelation:

Philosophical Truths Theological Truths
Known by Reason Known by Divine Revelation
God exists Jesus is the Son of God
God is one Heaven and Hell
Humans have immortal souls Baptism is a sacrament
Do not steal Jesus shall judge the living and the dead

God is the author of both columns—philosophical truths and theological truths. Both are true and both complement one another. The philosophical truths find fulfillment in the theological truths. As Thomas says elsewhere, “grace perfects nature.” Thomas might have also said, “theology perfects philosophy.”

Theology is different from all the other sciences. Theological discussions begin with God and then descend from Him to the world. Philosophy, on the other hand, works in the opposite direction. Philosophical discussions begin with knowledge of the world and then ascend to a very limited and abstract understanding of God.

The senses are the gateway to knowledge.

The form is like the idea or shape of a thing, and the matter is that from which it is made.

The Four Causes (Cause means the reason for something):
Formal cause - (idea)
Material cause - (stuff)
Efficient cause - (agent)
Final cause - (purpose)

The final cause is the goal or purpose. The formal cause is the idea of thing. The material cause is the stuff from which it is made. The efficient cause is the agent.

Take the example of a novel. The formal cause is the story itself. The material cause is the cover, spine, paper pages, and ink. The efficient cause is the author who literally writes the novel with pen and paper. The final cause is the purpose for which the author writes.

Lasagna. The formal cause is the recipe. The material cause is the tomatoes, cheese, pasta, etc. The efficient cause is the cook—your spouse. The formal cause, in this case, is to feed the family in a pleasurable way.

The Four Causes was used in theology to define such things as sacraments. The formal cause of baptism is the word “I baptized you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The material cause was the water. The efficient cause was the minister of the sacrament who intended to do what the Church does. The final cause or purpose was to confer grace so as to make a sinner into a Christian.

Now that we have come to understand the “four causes” we can now see how Thomas understands human knowledge in the context of “form” and “matter.”

God’s intellect is what Thomas calls “pure act” since God is fully actualized and lacking nothing. God knows everything. He is never surprised.

The Five Ways: motion, causality, possibility, being, and design.
First Way: Argument from Motion
The first way holds since all things are in motion, there must be something that is the first “unmoved mover,” which we call God.
Second Way: Argument from Efficient Cause
The second way holds since we all experience the principle of cause and effect, there must be an initial first cause, which we call God.
Third Way: Argument from Possibility
The third way observes all things have not always existed and might not always exist. Trees, homes, leaves, people, nations, rocks, rivers, etc. come and go. Yet if this is the case absolutely, then at some point nothing would have existed and thus nothing could come to be. But this is impossible because things do exist. Therefore, there must be “something” that is not contingent and responsible for the
existence of all contingent things. In other words, while things come and go, one thing must
remain always the same, and this is God.
Fourth Way: Argument from Degrees of Being
The fourth way observes gradation in all things. Some things are better than others. There is the best of everything in every class. So when it comes to existence, something must be “the best.” With regard to all things that exist there must be one that exists in the greatest and best way—one who is existence itself, and this is God.
Fifth Way: Argument from Design
The fifth argument observes there is design in creation. It is the old watchmaker argument. Suppose
you were walking in the desert and you came across upon a golden watch. Would you assume that bits of sand had rubbed together to form gears, crystal, springs, hands, levers, and a wristband all by chance? Or would you rather observe the intricate design of the object and assume a designer had crafted it? The fifth way appeals to complexities of creation and the design found within it. Seashells display mathematical proportionality. The tilt of the axis of planet earth provides an optimal seasonal change for life. The eyeball is an amazingly efficient optical instrument. Nature displays order and design everywhere. Therefore, there must be one who designed the cosmos, and this is God.

The five ways are logically sound and inescapable. Thomas says that the atheist is not a logical man because he refuses to acknowledge what is demonstrable. The atheist denies the existence of God for
moral reasons, not for philosophical reasons. Usually, atheists are what they are because of scandal and moral reasons, not because of logical failures.

This atheistic attack requires a theological answer that includes a doctrine of free will, original sin, and divine providence. However, at the end of the day, there is not a sound philosophical answer to the moral arguments against God. The most compelling response is to cast light on the fact that God Himself entered the world to suffer and die on the cross for the sake of human happiness in eternity.

The “analogy of being” is the centerpiece of Thomistic philosophy. If one does not understand the analogy of being, one does not understand Thomas Aquinas.

Analogy of being: Univocal=same Equivocal=different Analogical=similar

Thomas lists eight general attributes of God that can be known from reason by way of negation:
1) DOES GOD HAVE PARTS? God does not have parts because he is not created.
2) DOES GOD HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE? No, God cannot improve. There is nothing lacking in him.
3) IS THERE ANYTHING MORE DESIRABLE THAN GOD? No.
4) IS GOD LIMITED IN ANY WAY? God is not limited by time, space, or any other form of finitude. Thus, God is infinite.
5) IS GOD LIMITED BY LOCATION? God is the Unmoved Mover. Since God does not move, he is not here and then later there. He does not move from location to location. Rather, since he is the efficient cause, he is present always and everywhere.
6) DOES GOD CHANGE? Change is related to motion, and God is the Unmoved Mover. Furthermore, change entails a lack of perfection. If God changed, he would either become better or worse. God has no potential to become better. He is already best; he cannot change or mutate.
7) CAN GOD BE MEASURED BY TIME? Thomas defines eternal as something not measurable by time. Time is intimately related to change since the two go hand in hand. Thomas assumes the eternity of God naturally follows from the immutability of God. It is also obvious if God is the Unmoved Mover, he is not in the chain of events flowing through time.
8) CAN GOD BE MORE THAN ONE? No. Since God is without parts (simple), he cannot be divided. Moreover, he is unbounded (infinite). It follows then there can only be one God. There can only be one Unmoved Mover and only one First Cause. There cannot be multiple First Causes. So then God is one.

These eight attributes, as you can see, follow from the Five Ways of demonstrating God. We did not appeal to the Bible, to saints, or to Church documents to reach these conclusions. These attributes are, in a sense, contained in the definitions of the Five Ways.

Angels - Spiritual only
Humans - Spiritual & Physical
Animals - Physical only

In comparison to humans, the minds of angels are like the internet, and our humans minds are like a calculator from the early 1980s. There’s a big difference between us and them. This is especially scary when you consider that demons (fallen, evil angels) have massive intellects.

Plato compared the soul to a horse drawn chariot. The man in the chariot is the intellect. The chariot is pulled by two winged horses —one horse is the concupisble appetite and the other horse is the irascible appetite. The will is the reins in the hand of the charioteer. If the charioteer uses the reins correctly, he can steer the horses to wherever he desires. If he lets go of the reins (lets go of his will), then the horses will go crazy and drag his chariot all over the place. Our intellect, like a trained charioteer, is supposed to govern our passions through the reign of the will. If we let go of our will, we lose control and our passions take over. We become obsessed with sex, food, money, power, anger, revenge, or fear. The horses run wild and chariot gets dragged behind. However, if the intellect holds a firm grip on the reins of the will and controls and tames the horses of passion, he can win races and travel to all lands. He becomes the master of his destiny.

Thomas Aquinas and other medievals pointed to the vocation of celibacy as ultimate proof that man can conquer his passions perfectly.

As we learned in the last section, people run into trouble when their passions overtake their intellect. So how do we overcome these troubles? The answer is by virtue. What is a virtue? Thomas Aquinas considers a perfect definition to include all four causes: final, formal, material and efficient.

Simply stated, virtues are good patterns or habits. It is a good deed when you help an elderly lady cross the street. It is not a virtue, it is a deed. However, if you are accustomed to helping the elderly at all times, then this habit is a “virtue.” Just like jogging or lifting weights, the moral life gets easier and more powerful if you habituate your soul to doing good things.

Remember the four cardinal virtues by this acronym: PJFT or “peanut-butter, jelly, French toast.” Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance.

Prudence is the habit of proper decision making. Saint Augustine: “Prudence is the knowledge of what to seek and what to avoid.”

Dante in Divine Comedy described prudence allegorically as having three eyes since prudence allows man to see more clearly and act accordingly.

Justice is giving each person his due. To be a just person entails being fair in all your dealings and being grateful.

Fortitude is the virtue that perfects our irascible appetites. Cicero wrote that “fortitude is deliberate facing of dangers and bearing of toils.” Thomas Aquinas sees martyrdom as the greatest act of fortitude since martyrdom overcomes the fear of death itself for the sake of man’s final Goal—God.

A person with the virtue of fortitude is courageous. He is strong but not prideful. His life is marked by perseverance. Those who exhibit fortitude also possess patience, which is the opposite of anger.

Temperance is that habit that perfects the concupiscible desires for food, drink, and sex. Aristotle explains that “temperance is properly about desires of pleasures of touch.” Thomas Aquinas says that sins against temperance are the most disgraceful sins since they make us most like the irrational beasts. Sins against temperance are gluttony, drunkenness, and every form of lustful act.

The four cardinal virtues are “natural” in that anyone can foster these right habits so as to become a virtuous person. Someone who makes good decisions (prudence), gives everyone their due (justice), proves courageous (fortitude), and moderates that drive for pleasures (temperance) is a virtuous person.

Supernatural virtues that exceed man’s natural capacities are faith, hope, and charity. These three supernatural virtues cannot be cultivated by a natural man but come exclusively from Jesus Christ through the Catholic Church. These three supernatural virtues are therefore called “theological virtues.” Thomas teaches these are given in Christian baptism and strengthened through the sacraments of the Catholic Church.

Faith is the belief or trust in all the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Hope is the second theological virtue and its object is everlasting happiness. Hope applies the truths of the virtue of faith to the self. This personal application of the faith is the virtue of hope.

The highest theological virtue is charity or love. The object of charity is God and our neighbor. The virtue of charity leads us to love God and others. Charity brings about joy, peace, mercy, and acts of kindness. Charity is only possible by grace.

Virtue is a quality or habit of the soul, therefore the virtuous must be habituated rightly.

The moral life is one of small every day decisions that add up over time to big decisions. According to Thomas Aquinas, virtuous people are the only ones who can rightly decide the big moral decisions of life, because only virtue allows someone to perceive and act accordingly.

How will you know how to make difficult moral decisions? You begin now by making small right decisions every day.

Become habituated to performing good deeds. Over years, you will become virtuous and see more clearly than others. These virtues will have strengthened your natural human faculties.

“Grace perfects nature.” The four cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance are perfected by the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Thomas begins with the three theological virtues and then descends to the four cardinal virtues. This ordering and integration amplifies the reality of grace perfecting nature. That which is supernatural provides fulfillment for that which is natural.

Natural law is an inward inclination toward the good and the avoidance of evil. It is a natural operating system. Thomas explicitly teaches it is not chiefly a set of moral commandments. Rather, it is an inclination humans have toward the good.

Concupiscence is our sinful tendency to be ruled by our passions and not our intellect.

Human law, like all law, must conform to the four causes:
Formal Cause: A law must be reasonable
Material Cause: promulgated in public so that people know about it
Efficient Cause: by a proper authority, such as a king or legislature.
Final Cause: for the Common Good

Divine law is given by God through public revelation.

[Rebecca The Files of Mrs. E, · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I had learned the basics of Thomas Aquinas in college but was rusty and didn't feel ready to dive into a larger edition. Dr. Marshall did such a great job not just making Thomas Aquinas understandable but also interesting and relevant. I feel now like I have a basic understanding and could tackle his actual works. And if I don't, I feel like I'm still a better human for reading this.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've only ever read snippets of Aquinas's words and writings, mostly the 'quote-worthy' and was intrigued to read more. However, I found this 50-page synopsis about 35 pages too much for me. However, I acknowledge that's my fault. He's a philosopher and I don't really enjoy philosophical discussions. As a result these pages were a real struggle for me as they simply didn't;t appeal nor did I find them relevant to my situation.

After providing a brief outline of who he was and his background, Marshall takes the reader through the core concepts that underpinned his thinking and writings. All useful stuff for someone who wishes to read more of his work.

I'm sure there are plenty of people who are deeper thinkers and enjoy philosophical discussions will appreciate this brief introduction to the great man's writings and philosophies.

It just wasn't my cup of tea.

[Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to gain an overview of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Specifically, to understand his 'Five Proofs' for the existence of God. Taylor, the author, gave me what I needed and more. Although, to be honest, I don't think I needed the rest of the information.

On to the Proofs —in summary, Aquinas postulates that God exists as (1) nothing can move itself, (2) nothing exists prior itself, (3) nothing is the efficient cause of itself, (4) He is the highest being of perfection, and (5) all creation are evidence of His Intelligence in structure and design.

To be fair, these are easy to understand. In fact, the book can be utilized as a reference as the author provides a well written explanation on the philosophy and the theology surrounding Aquinas' work. This is very palatable and easy to grasp for non-practitioners of Theology and/or Philosophy. However, mind you, what brought down the rating by a notch is the rest of the chapters that followed the proofs. Although not the author's fault, these chapters showed that Aquinas dabbled on ethereal beings and attempted to gauge their intellect and purpose. In my opinion, only God can define these beings.

As with all books we read, we take what is important and valuable to us. This book has offered me alot of things and I'll be taking a few. If you would like to know about Aquinas, this is something you can begin with.

Bonus: the author also provided a list of books at the end should you wish to proceed on this journey.

[Charles Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have been wrestling with Thomas Aquinas for years. There would be things I would get and things I wouldn't. Then the things I got I would forget. Yet I kept coming back. I had one main deficiency: a poor background in philosophy. I've read some basic Aristotle but wasn't that much of a help. Then I read "Thomas Aquinas in 50 Pages: The Layman's Quick Guide to Thomism" and suddenly the sky opened up. This a brilliant little book. For me, he unlocked the key to start getting to really understand Thomas, especially the Summan Theologia. What he does is help define the terms that Thomas uses. These are not technical terms but often common terms that Thomas gave very specific meanings to. Without these definitions the reader of Thomaas will be lost. My only regret is that I did not read this sooner.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I feel like this is the perfect brief read to finally get over the hump of not knowing what any terms or concepts in Aquinas mean. In this handy little 50 page PDF, Marshall concisely gives you an introduction to these Thomistic concepts:

• The Biography of Thomas Aquinas
• The Difference Between Theology and Philosophy
• How We Come to Know Things
• The Existence of God and the Five Ways
• The Importance of Analogy
• Analogy of Being
• The Existence = Essence Connection in God
• The Attributes of God
• The Nature of Angels
• The Nature of Humans
• Role of the Intellect and Will with Regard to Passions
• Your 11 Passions
• Four Cardinal Virtues
• Three Theological Virtues
• Meaning & Role of Virtue Ethics
• The Kinds of Law
• Natural Law and the Basis of Politics

And much more! Check it out if you are a budding Thomist!

[Fay · Rating 3 out of 5]

as a curious muzzie (muslim) who believes Islam is on the same wavelength as Catholicism when it comes to guilt, i found this super short book on St. Thomas Aquinas SAUR interesting. first and foremost, the Averroists and their influence on pantheism, which clashed with Christian views of the soul ate. and while some theologians abandoned philosophy to combat Averroism, Thomas stood 10 toes down proving that Aristotle and Christianity could be reconciled. despite accusations of being an Averroist, Thomas defended himself and what came from it? his own philosophical and theological school of thought called Thomism. loved his argument that even without religion, reason alone could lead one to know God exists, which eats obviously

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful summary with issues in the writing

This book provides a useful summary of the history of Saint Thomas, as well as a broad overview of Aquinas' philosophy. The writing, however, leaves something to be desired as it is replete with pointless elaborations and more than a few internal contradictions.

If you've never read Aquinas, this can be a useful text for learning the basic vocabulary of his philosophy and theology, but you should move directly on to seek better writing and clearer thinking posthaste.

[Caleb Stober · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet

This feels like a really good primer for Aquinas. I hope to read some of his writing in the future and will then have the opportunity to reflect more adequately on the quality of this book but at face value it seems both objective and summative. The explanation of the Four Causes and the section on Angelology were high pointe for me but the book kept my interest the whole way through. There were some typos though which confused the meanings of sentences, hence -1 star.

[Jonathan Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall good book
The author only spends 10% of the book on Thomas’s life
The rest of the book is breaking down Thomas’s key points
It’s interesting to me how a couple of people influence the thinking and literature for generations and in Christian/catholic theology Thomas seems like the one
I’ll have to read more books about him
I recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick overview of what Thomas Believed

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I understand that Taylor Marshall can be a polarizing figure, this early book of his was recommended to me in order to scratch the surface of St. Thomas Aquinas and his writings. In that respect, I'd agree that this is a worthwhile read for those who want to dip their toe into the Thomistic pool. I'll probably reread. There's a lot to digest but Marshall does a good job of making it all...well, digestible.

[Gerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative

I really enjoyed reading this book. It served as a great introduction to St. Thomas. I have now made the commitment to the next step of studying the Summa. Highly recommend!

[wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A saint of the Catholic church. His ideas form so much of what we do, that it is important to understand at least a basic idea of his theories. Dr. Marshall does that for those of us who need assistance walking through Thomas Aquinas' thoughts and writings. Excellent.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent synopsis of St.Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica. Due to brevity not all subjects are covered but proofs of God"s existence through reason are handled clearly. If you know nothing about Thomas Aquinas or the Summa this is a great place to start

[Cecilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jordan Peterson + Jonathan Pageau + John Vervaeke = starting over with Thomas Aquinas (the abridged version to start LOL). Some of you know what I mean - the rest get ready to enjoy the ride.
Its never too late to reclaim what you lost. Down a new rabbit hole we go!!! NEXT!

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done. I feel, as a beginner to Aquinas, this was the perfect introduction. You get all the critical information, and you can sit with it and let it sink in. You don’t get overwhelmed and it leaves you feeling confident to pursue more. Thank you Dr. Marshall.

[Chris Gramlich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great intro

This is a good way to get a feel for St. Thomas Aquinas before diving into the heavier volumes of his work and the books about his work.

[Ben Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I am tackling Thomas Aquinas this year, I thought this is a good place to start. It. outlines the basic truths of Aquinas and is helpful in getting through his works.

[Henrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Det var veeeeldig tettskrevne 50 siden, synes jeg :-)

[Angie Marlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reference

I enjoyed this books simplicity. It was a quick read and great prep for other books by st Thomas. Thanks

[M Patricia Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and understandable

Best intro to Thomas I've read. Heartily recommend. "Clear explanations in layman's terms. Mild humor keeps the book interesting. Enjoyable.

[Mimia The Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good introduction to Saint Thomas Aquinas. It could be the starting point to a more profound study of the Angelic Doctor.

[Maurisa Mayerle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly as promised. Easy conversational style. Found a couple typos.