The Essential Summa Theologiae: A Reader and Commentary

by Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt

Saint Thomas Aquinas's masterwork, the Summa theologiae, can be daunting to beginners. This volume by an expert on Aquinas's theology offers an ideal introduction. It presents key selections from the Summa along with accessible commentary designed to provide background, explain key concepts, and walk readers through Aquinas's arguments. Previously published as Holy Teaching, this new edition has been fully revised and includes a substantial amount of new material. The book draws from the entire Summa and incorporates selections that focus on moral theology, providing a fuller picture of Aquinas's thought.

Genres: Theology, Philosophy, Spirituality

449 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 16, 2021

Reviews

[Jack Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t remember the last time I had to read so slowly, mark up the book so much, and had to pause for headaches. Yet this was deeply challenging and just outstanding in every sense. One of my favourite reads in a long time.

[Jonathan Franz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quickest way to become convinced that maybe the Reformation was a bad idea.

[Caleb Blevins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for seminary research paper. This is my first time reading Thomas and I found a lot of the Summa to be helpful. However, I did no agree on the questions towards the end regarding the Sacraments. Bauerschmidt’s work in the footnotes was extremely helpful for reading and understanding as well. A great theology resource here!

[Dane Radigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for Bauerschmidt’s commentary