A basic guide for students of theology & anyone interested in a modern systematic overview of Thomistic thought, this volume is actually much more than an introduction & interpretation of St. Thomas' enduring masterpiece. 'Aquinas' Summa' is really an excellent, faithful & readable synthesis of the Angelic Doctor's main writings, creative mind & holy life. In this up-to-date introduction to the Summa, the author has digested a vast amount of material & managed to present it in a clear, flowing & organic manner without sacrificing anything truly essential. Frequent references are made throughout the work to the Summa's impact on the Second Vatican Council & the New Code of Canon Law. While other prominent authors have written voluminous studies on the Summa, no one in the last dozen years has offered a better compendium of Thomistic doctrine than has Fr. Gratsch.