Aquinas: God and Action

by David B. Burrell

First published 30 years ago and long out of print, God and Action appears here for the first time in paperback. This classic volume by eminent philosopher and theologian David Burrell argues that Aquinas’s is not the god of Greek metaphysics, but a god of both being and activity. Aquinas’s plan in the Summa Theologiae , according to Burrell, is to instruct humans how to find eternal happiness through acts of knowing and loving. Featuring a new foreword by the author, this edition will be welcomed by philosophers and theologians alike.
 

Genres: Theology, Philosophy

207 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2008

Reviews

[Allyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book during a seminar I took from the author. That course changed the way I read Aquinas more than other other. Fr. Burrell is, I believe, the the most gifted interpreter of Aquinas today.

[Brian Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly a page turner but a great analysis of Thomas and a clear guide to the benefits of theology as grammatical rule instead of circumscribing description

[Lyndon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burrell's work with Aquinas is a reminder how surprising and contemporary a medieval Dominican can be to modern sensibilities. I cannot say unequivocally that i fully comprehended all that Burrell argues in this text; however, I came away with fresh insight into God's free agency and how such a God deserves our praise, despite being incomprehensible. That God acts is reason enough.