Thomas Aquinas Biblical Theologian

In the past eight hundred years, it is possible that no other theologian has shaped our understanding of God, man, and the Church more than St. Thomas Aquinas. While many people are familiar with his most famous work, the Summa Theologiae, fewer know of his important role as a biblical theologian. But in fact, Aquinas’ primary work was biblical theology. His biblical commentaries remain invaluable in the ongoing work of Scripture study. The essays in Thomas Aquinas, Biblical Theologian explore some of Aquinas’ most important contributions within his biblical commentaries and the ongoing work of Scripture study. A dozen contributors explore Aquinas’ thought on faith and revelation, the study of the Sacred Page, and other dogmatic and moral considerations.

The work of Thomas Aquinas (1224-1275) has become increasingly influential in recent doctrinal theology and theological ethics, aside from his extraordinary historical significance. Thomas has been read ever since his death, today as much as ever. What is it that distinguishes his work, and can his theological judgments and proposals still be brought to bear in contemporary theological inquiry? This book presents a new study of Thomas Aquinas, focusing on the evangelical, pastoral and theocentric character of his premodern theology. Healy presents Thomas as first and foremost a theologian of the Christian life, who when he used philosophical concepts did so in order to fulfill the task of theology, which he conceived as an ecclesial discipline dedicated above all to helping Christians follow Jesus Christ. Thomas's interpretation of Scripture and his theological method, his Trinitarian ontology, his Christology and his Christological anthropology, conception of the church and sacramental theology, are all examined from this perspective. The richness and complexity yet profound simplicity of the Christian way of life Thomas reveals is shown to make a valuable contribution to the thought of contemporary readers, and the significance of Thomas's writings for contemporary theological questions and concerns is revealed.

This volume fits within the contemporary reappropriation of St. Thomas Aquinas, which emphasizes his use of Scripture and the teachings of the church fathers without neglecting his philosophical insight.

This text evaluates the biblical commentaries of St Thomas Aquinas for the modern age with each commentary examined by an expert. Each chapter focuses on the two or three major themes of its particular commentary and also relates the themes of the commentaries to Aquinas' 'Summa Contra Gentiles' and especially to his 'Suma Theologica'.

Knowing the Love of Christ provides a thorough introduction to the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas in accessible language. As a complement to the many short introductions to St. Thomas's philosophy, this book fills a gap in the literature on Thomas--a comprehensive introduction to his thought written by theologians. With enthusiasm and insight, Michael Dauphinais and Matthew Levering make available the vast theology of Thomas Aquinas. Focusing upon the Summa Theologiae, Dauphinais and Levering illumine the profoundly biblical foundations of Thomas's powerful vision of reality. Drawing upon their own experience, the authors guide readers into grappling with the fresh and penetrating insights of St. Thomas. Students at all stages of theological education will find this book an enriching introduction to the mysteries of the Christian faith. "Dauphinais and Levering capture the teaching of Thomas with thoroughness, lucidity, and completeness. I find this book an extraordinary accomplishment." --Romanus Cessario, O.P., St. John's Seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts "The beginner often finds St. Thomas Aquinas daunting. Dauphinais and Levering have done a masterful job of presenting the major themes of Thomas' thought in a clear, concise, and yet faithful fashion. Anyone wanting to begin to study Thomas could not find a better starting point than this book. An added blessing is that the book will lead the reader to a deeper love and appreciation of the Christian Gospel. Aquinas himself would heartily approve." --Thomas G. Weinandy, O.F.M., Cap., University of Oxford "The strength of this book is to give an overview of Aquinas' theological developments in prose that is accessible to nearly everyone. It is a remarkable piece of work." --David B. Burrell, C.S.C., University of Notre Dame "One of St. Thomas's many prodigies was his ability to speak, at once, as a biblical theologian and a dogmatic theologian. He is the exemplar in both fields. I know of no other introductory text that presents Thomas's dual genius so richly, so clearly, and in a way that is accessible to ordinary lay Catholics and undergraduates." --Scott Hahn, Franciscan University of Steubenville

The life and times of the most important theological work of medieval Christendom This concise book tells the story of the most important theological work of the Middle Ages, the vast Summa theologiae of Thomas Aquinas, which holds a unique place in Western religion and philosophy. Written between 1266 and 1273, the Summa was conceived by Aquinas as an instructional guide for teachers and novices and a compendium of all the approved teachings of the Catholic Church. It synthesizes an astonishing range of scholarship, covering hundreds of topics and containing more than a million and a half words—and was still unfinished at the time of Aquinas's death. Here, Bernard McGinn, one of today’s most acclaimed scholars of medieval Christianity, vividly describes the world that shaped Aquinas, then turns to the Dominican friar’s life and career, examining Aquinas’s reasons for writing his masterpiece, its subject matter, and the novel way he organized it. McGinn gives readers a brief tour of the Summa itself, and then discusses its reception over the past seven hundred years. He looks at the influence of the Summa on such giants of medieval Christendom as Meister Eckhart, its ridicule during the Enlightenment, the rise and fall of Neothomism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the role of the Summa in the post–Vatican II church, and the book’s enduring relevance today. Tracing the remarkable life of this iconic work, McGinn’s wide-ranging account provides insight into Aquinas’s own understanding of the Summa as a communication of the theological wisdom that has been given to humanity in revelation.

This book provides a critical study of the main Christian doctrines as understood and explained by Thomas Aquinas. The whole Thomistic revival of the last century focused almost exclusively on Aquinas as the Christian philosopher. Thus books and articles developed his understanding of being, his epistomology, natural theology, etc. However little has been done, even to this day, by way of examining Aquinas' teaching on the major Christian doctrines. This book of essays by an international team of recognised scholars will help fill this gap. Such a book will be indispensable in every theological library.

This text considers Aquinas the theologian, his profession as a teacher and preacher, his influence past and present, and theology as the subject of his thought and most of his writings. It examines the Summa theologiae in terms of its purpose and multiple structures. The centre piece of this volume is a tour through the themes of Christianity, as presented in the Summa, themes which range from Triune divine being, to the graced person as the image of God, and a member of the body of Christ, to the life beyond death.