A TOUR OF THE SUMMA PAUL J. GLENN — A Catholic Classic! — Over 600 Articles, includes Active Linked Endnotes — Includes an Active Index, Table of Contents and Layered NCX Navigation — Includes Illustrations by Gustave Dore Publisher: Available in Paperback: ISBN-13: 978-1-78379-483-6 The Summa Theologica is considered by the Catholic Church to be the most important of the many works with which the towering St. Thomas Aquinas enriched the world. But many lack the inclination or opportunity to spend years of sustained effort to study it.A Tour of the Summa was written especially for those persons. It is a journey through the greatest work of a Doctor of the Church, rendering St. Thomas’ arguments in a shortened yet rigorously faithful form. Msgr. Paul J. Glenn brings a lifetime of teaching and writing experience to this, his masterwork. PUBLISHER: CATHOLIC WAY PUBLISHING

We may adapt a remark of St. Thomas Aquinas, and apply it to his own great work, the Summa Theologica: not everyone has talent to master this work; not everyone has a taste for the study it requires; not everyone has time to devote to such study. Aeterna Press

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.

Chesterton's customary wit and engaging storytelling provide a brief but vivid profile. He focuses on the saint's life, rather than on theology, to illustrate Thomas's relevance to modern readers.

Excerpt from Catechism of the Council of Trent: Translated Into English With Notes, Etc Question III. - Christ came into this World to teach the Faith, which the Apostles and their Successors afterwards propagated. But, as he had foretold that he would give a Teacher of justice to be the light of the Gentiles, that his salvation may reach even to the farthest part of the earth (is. Xlix. In these days he hath spoken to us by his Son (heb. I. 2) whom also by a voice from heaven, from the excellent glory (2 Pet. I. He has commanded all to hear and to obey. And then the Son gave some, apostles, and some, prophets, and others, pastors and teachers (eph. Iv. To announce the word of life; that we might not be carried about like children, tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, but (eph. Iv. Adhering fast to the firm foundation of the faith, might be built together into an habitation of God in the Holy Ghost (eph. Ii. Question IV. - How the Words of the Pastors of the Church are to be received. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Following a scholarly account of Thomas Aquinas's life, Davies explores his purposes in writing the Summa Theologiae and works systematically through each of its three Parts. He also relates their contents and Aquinas's teachings to those of other works and other thinkers both theological and philosophical. The concluding chapter considers the impact Aquinas's best-known work has exerted since its first appearance, and why it is still studied today. Intended for students and general readers interested in medieval philosophy and theology, Davies's study is a solid and reflective introduction both to the Summa Theologiae and to Aquinas in general.