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Faith, Reason and Theology
The topics of Questions i-iv of St. Thomas Aquinas' Commentary on the De Trinitate of Boethius are of vital interest to the Christian philosopher and theologian. Written while Aquinas was a youthful Master of Theology, the Questions show his solidarity with Christian tradition, his wide acquaintance with Scripture and the Fathers of the Church, and his creative use of philosophy in addressing theological issues. Question i treats of the possibility of our knowing God, and the human limitations of this knowledge. Question ii concerns theology as a science which reaches out to God by faith in his revealed word and uses philosophical reasoning to throw light on the contents of revelation. In Question iii Aquinas takes up the nature of faith, showing its relation to religion and its necessity for the welfare of the human race. He argues for the catholicity or universality of the Christian faith and defends the orthodox teaching of the trinity of Persons in the one God. Question iv turns to a set of philosophical problems occasioned by Boethius' treatise on the the factors that cause a plurality in genera, species and individuals. In this connection Aquinas makes one of his most controversial statements of the principle of individuation.
127 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1258
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About the author
Thomas Aquinas
2,670 books1,155 followersPhilosophy of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican friar and theologian of Italy and the most influential thinker of the medieval period, combined doctrine of Aristotle and elements of Neoplatonism, a system that Plotinus and his successors developed and based on that of Plato, within a context of Christian thought; his works include the
Summa contra gentiles
(1259-1264) and the
Summa theologiae
or theologica (1266-1273).
Saint Albertus Magnus taught Saint Thomas Aquinas.
People ably note this priest, sometimes styled of Aquin or Aquino, as a scholastic. The Roman Catholic tradition honors him as a "doctor of the Church."
Aquinas lived at a critical juncture of western culture when the arrival of the Aristotelian corpus in Latin translation reopened the question of the relation between faith and reason, calling into question the modus vivendi that obtained for centuries. This crisis flared just as people founded universities. Thomas after early studies at Montecassino moved to the University of Naples, where he met members of the new Dominican order. At Naples too, Thomas first extended contact with the new learning. He joined the Dominican order and then went north to study with Albertus Magnus, author of a paraphrase of the Aristotelian corpus. Thomas completed his studies at the University of Paris, formed out the monastic schools on the left bank and the cathedral school at Notre Dame. In two stints as a regent master, Thomas defended the mendicant orders and of greater historical importance countered both the interpretations of Averroës of Aristotle and the Franciscan tendency to reject Greek philosophy. The result, a new modus vivendi between faith and philosophy, survived until the rise of the new physics. The Catholic Church over the centuries regularly and consistently reaffirmed the central importance of work of Thomas for understanding its teachings concerning the Christian revelation, and his close textual commentaries on Aristotle represent a cultural resource, now receiving increased recognition.
Saint Albertus Magnus taught Saint Thomas Aquinas.
People ably note this priest, sometimes styled of Aquin or Aquino, as a scholastic. The Roman Catholic tradition honors him as a "doctor of the Church."
Aquinas lived at a critical juncture of western culture when the arrival of the Aristotelian corpus in Latin translation reopened the question of the relation between faith and reason, calling into question the modus vivendi that obtained for centuries. This crisis flared just as people founded universities. Thomas after early studies at Montecassino moved to the University of Naples, where he met members of the new Dominican order. At Naples too, Thomas first extended contact with the new learning. He joined the Dominican order and then went north to study with Albertus Magnus, author of a paraphrase of the Aristotelian corpus. Thomas completed his studies at the University of Paris, formed out the monastic schools on the left bank and the cathedral school at Notre Dame. In two stints as a regent master, Thomas defended the mendicant orders and of greater historical importance countered both the interpretations of Averroës of Aristotle and the Franciscan tendency to reject Greek philosophy. The result, a new modus vivendi between faith and philosophy, survived until the rise of the new physics. The Catholic Church over the centuries regularly and consistently reaffirmed the central importance of work of Thomas for understanding its teachings concerning the Christian revelation, and his close textual commentaries on Aristotle represent a cultural resource, now receiving increased recognition.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 12, 2021
Aquinas is one, who, capable of explaining difficult problems also creates new frontiers in the sphere of theology and philosophy. In one of his early works, a commentary on Boethius "De Trinitate" he manages to pick out topics to dwell furth into. Of course, the Trinity is one of them, but also the tension between faith and philosophy, if it's possible to know God, and reason and theology. This book contains the Boethius text together with the first 4 questions in Aquinas's work connecting to Boethius.
I'm amazed how sharp Aquinas pen is often making a lot of sense. This work, however, has a sometimes strange mix of topics - some not as necessary to the whole as all, pointing toward a more orderly and complete Summa later. Here, in contrast to Summa, we have many more objections, and also contra arguments, and it feels more comprehensive than what we find in Summa.
This is a great book to read if you want a glimpse of Thomas Aquinas, even if it is early, it is pack full of what is typical for him and a great introduction to how he thinks.
I'm amazed how sharp Aquinas pen is often making a lot of sense. This work, however, has a sometimes strange mix of topics - some not as necessary to the whole as all, pointing toward a more orderly and complete Summa later. Here, in contrast to Summa, we have many more objections, and also contra arguments, and it feels more comprehensive than what we find in Summa.
This is a great book to read if you want a glimpse of Thomas Aquinas, even if it is early, it is pack full of what is typical for him and a great introduction to how he thinks.
December 2, 2023
Read excerpts for class. What a beautiful work! I definitely need to come back to this in the future.
July 16, 2012
This book contains what is probably one of the most clear and concise explanations of the relation between faith and reason, philosophy and theology. A necessary read for anyone interested in philosophy or theology.
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November 21, 2009None
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews