Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas is one of the 16 books that is part of the SSRC Philosophers Series called “Free Thinkers.” The series is an attempt to present the teachings of many of the great philosophers throughout history in a way that average readers without academic backgrounds can easily understand. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) was a Catholic Dominican monk whose most significant accomplishment was as a teacher and explainer of Christian truth as a means of salvation. His method is simple: walk with modesty and humility in the master’s footsteps, exercise higher virtue by being a good human being, and practise prayer to and contemplate ceaselessly on God (a merciful God, not a God of Judgment, but a best friend). His most significant work, the Summa Theologica (Summa), was written to teach journeyman Dominican Friars Christian creed in a practical manner to help them understand human nature and the psychology of their future flocks. Part I, reflects God, His nature, and His works; Part II is a thorough examination of the teachings and example of the incarnate spiritual master, Jesus Christ; while Part III begins a never-to-be-completed discussion of the operation of the Holy Spirit. The entire work is intended as a theological proof of the three aspects of the Christian Trinity: God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit relying on principles of Aristotelian logic. It is one of the greatest works in world literature dedicated to describing the means and virtues of discipleship.