A Short History of Thomism

by Romanus Cessario

Since the first followers of Saint Thomas Aquinas took up the task of explaining and defending his writings, Thomists have influenced deeply the Western intellectual tradition. Together they form a school called Thomism that can claim an uninterrupted history since the end of the thirteenth century. Using carefully selected resources, Romanus Cessario has composed a short account of the history of the Thomist tradition as it manifests itself through the more than seven hundred years that have elapsed since the death of Saint Thomas. A Short History of Thomism, originally published in French as Le Thomisme et les Thomistes, supplies a need that has not been met in over a century, and is the first such comprehensive account written in English.

The author, who has worked in the field for more than thirty-five years, brings to his study an appreciation for the place that Saint Thomas Aquinas holds as a perennial teacher of Christian theology, and for the influence that the Common Doctor has exercised on all stripes of theology and philosophy. The book suggests suitable criteria for including and excluding authors from the catalogue of Thomists, and proceeds to identify the principal periods during which Thomism fared both well and less well. Appeal to broader historical contexts helps the reader locate Thomism within the flow of intellectual history as it unfolds in the West.

Representative figures in the history of Thomism are named and their literary compositions described in order to show the variety of ways that these authors have carried on the tradition. To enable the reader to learn the positions that are commonly identified with the Thomist school, the book includes an exposition of its major theological and philosophical themes.

Genres: Philosophy, Catholic, Theology, History, Nonfiction, Christianity

120 pages, Paperback

Published January 31, 2005

About the author

The Very Reverend Romanus Cessario, O.P., is a Dominican priest and professor of systematic theology at St. John's Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Limited by its length.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notable for its brevity, the book is a run through the ebbs and flows of Thomism from 1274 to the present. Cessario, rather than focusing on ideas, focuses on individual men and their works, which is useful in its concreteness, and aided by occasional breakdowns of individual's tenets (e.g. Suarez). There's also a useful section in the start about how to understand Thomism historically -- the challenges of defining the term, in particular.

Overall, a very quick read, but worth it to familiarize yourself with the history of Thomism.

[Ian Clary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very helpful introductory survey to the history and important themes in Thomist thought from the 13th century to the late 20th. Clearly written, has a good command of the history and issues, honest about the ups and downs in Thomist history. I appreciate how Cessario pays attention to the way that historical contingencies would contribute to periods of strength and decline for Thomism. This also helped me frame the philosophical/theological emphases that certain epochs of Thomism would employ, whereas other periods would have entirely different emphases.
The book does not dive into any indepth analysis of such themes, which is understandable given its length. Though I do wish the author paid better attention to the ways that Thomism would appear in non-Roman Catholic philosophies and theologies -- here I am especially thinking of the ways that Protestantism was shaped by Thomism. For instance, thinkers like Martin Bucer, Peter Martyr Vermigli (both of whom were influential on English Reformation), Jerome Zanchius, or Zacharias Ursinus were Protestant Thomists whose influence on the later Reformed tradition is significant. Personally, I find it frustrating that the surveys of Thomism don't include the Protestants. They also tend to misunderstand Luther's relationship to Scholasticism (see Janz or Bagchi on this) and they portray Protestants as a kind of Christian sect rather than being a vital part of the Great Tradition. On the topic of Vermigli and Thomism, it's strange to me that such surveys by Catholics fail to mention him, given that it was Jesuits like John Patrick Donnelly SJ who are responsible for retrieving Vermigli in the twentieth century. Donnelly even coined the term "Calvinist Thomism" to describe Vermigli's thought.
I also wish that the author gave more analysis to the history of Thomism and the Dominicans in 18th century England -- he indicated that at the time of writing not a lot of study had been done on this era.
Those criticisms aside -- and my Protestantism critique is reflective of more general Catholic attitudes towards Protestants -- this book is really helpful as an introduction to the history of Thomism. I'm glad I read this.

[David Haines · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short sprint through the history of thomistic thought, from Aquinas to now. The book is interesting for its' overview of the various Catholic scholars, throughout history, who can legitimately be called thomists, and for the author's attempts to provide an outline of what he thinks distinguishes thomists from non-thomists. This book provides almost no discussion of the protestant use of Aquinas, which, in light of the historical research which has been done in the last 50 years, means that this book is, significantly, incomplete. It is, however, worth reading, as it gives us a birdseye view of the Catholic approach to Thomas Aquinas.

[Caleb Burdine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and rapid sprint through the history of Thomism. Great for marking out the broad contours of the history but lacking the level of analysis required for understanding divisions among the various movements within 'wide Thomism', not to mention 'eclectic Thomism'. Still, one should only fault an author for betraying his promises, not the reader's expectations. Cessario is rather up front about the scope of the work and the reader should expect no more than that. If you're looking for a lay of the land vis-à-vis the dynamic school of Thomism, this is a good place to start.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short history indeed!

[Br. Justin Marie Brophy, O.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very important albeit short (96 pgs.) book. Provides an accessible history of Thomism and argues persuasively the fundamental unity of Thomism and thomists. Also a great introduction to the great thomists of the ages.

[David Pulliam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very dry, full of many names and little analysis. The author gives more of a survey of many Thomists rather then a full narrative.

[Emerson John Tiu Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

...a short history of Thomism...