Guide to Thomas Aquinas One of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century, Josef Pieper, gives an insightful preamble and guide to the life and works of conceivably the greatest philosopher ever, St. Thomas Aquinas. Pieper presents a biography of Aquinas, an outline of the 13th century he lived in, and a magnificent synthesis of his vast writings. Pieper depicts how Aquinas resolved the pragmatic thought of Aristotle with the Church, proving that practical knowledge need not exclude belief in the spiritual realities of religion. According to Pieper, the marriage of faith and reason offered by Aquinas in his great synthesis of a “theologically founded worldliness” was not just one solution among many, but the great principle articulating the quintessence of the Christian West. Pieper reveals his amazing command of original sources and excellent secondary materials as he elucidates the thought of the great intellectual Doctor of the Church. “The point of these lectures is to sketch, against the environment of his times and his life, a portrait of Thomas Aquinas as he truly concerns philosophical-minded persons nowadays, not merely as a historical personage but as a theorist who has something to say to our own era.
I earnestly hope that the speculative attitude which was Thomas’ most salient trait as Christianity’s `universal teacher’ will emerge clearly and sharply from my exposition,” said Josef Pieper. St. Thomas Aquinas was known as a saint, a doctor of the church, and a man who made many contributions; not only to Dante but to the entire period in which he lived, which is known as the Middle Ages. St. Thomas was born at Roccasecca, the family castle near Naples, probably about 1225. The precise year of Thomas birth is uncertain. He was born under the Italian sky to the county of Aquino and inherited his distinguished name by his birthplace.
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However, he later made the name more distinguished than ever. He was the youngest son of Landulf, Count of Aquino, and Theodora, Countess of Teano. It was said that his father was indeed a happy father and a valiant warrior and also a diplomat, but above all he was the father of a fine race. Thomas mother was known as a noblewoman from Naples and was greatly praised for her piety. At the age of five, Thomas went to the Abbey school of the Benedictines of Monte Cassino. Diligent in study, he was early noted as being meditative and devoted to prayer, and his educator was surprised at hearing the child ask frequently: “What is God?” This young question of Thomas is recognized by many of modern literature and spiritual education. It is distinctive in the biographies and recollections of St. Thomas Aquinas.
By about 1239 Thomas attended the University of Naples while studying his literary studies in the Faculty of Arts. He then entered the Order of Preachers in about 1243. Some time between 1240 and August, 1243, he received the habit of the Order of St. Dominic, being attracted and directed by John of St. Julian, a noted preacher of the convent of Naples. For the next few years Thomas became a student at Cologne. Here he studied Theology under Saint Albert the Great and showed many signs of his future greatness in the world of Theologian studies.
During his stay in Cologne, probably in 1250, he was raised to the priesthood by Conrad of Hochstaden, archbishop of that city. Throughout his busy life, he frequently preached the Word of God, in Germany, France, and Italy. His sermons were forceful, redolent of sanctity, full of solid instruction, abounding in inclined citations from the Scriptures. In the year 1251 or 1252 the master general of the order, by the advice of Albertus Magnus and Hugo a S. Charo (Hugh of St. Cher), sent Thomas to fill the office of Bachelor (sub-regent) in the Dominican studium at Paris. This appointment may be regarded as the beginning of his public career, for his teaching soon attracted the attention both of the professors and of the students. He taught under the master Elias Brunet, who was at the head of the school for externs form 1248-1256.
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His duties consisted principally in explaining the “Sentences” of Peter Lombard, and lecturing on books of Scripture. The Great Commentary on the Sentences is the youthful work of Thomas and was a result of his lectures as a bachelor at the University of Paris. His commentaries on that text-book of theology furnished the materials and, in great part, the plan for his chief work, the “Summa theologica”. He received his degree to teach in public, to preach, and to exercise the functions of a master and was to be considered a graduate. In 1259 Thomas returned to Italy and became appointed a preacher-general by the provincial chapter at Naples. He continued his passionate lectures and sermons, and began writing books and holding disputations. He wrote theological works along with philosophical writings as well.
He wrote with the theory that God had chosen him to investigate every truth, and gave him a clearer understanding than any other man. He continued teaching and spreading his view through his writing his entire lifetime. St. Thomas Aquinas died in 1274 at the castle of Maenza where he fell ill while off for the Council of Lyons. His journey fell short due to the illness which overtook him. Many remarkable things happened upon Thomas death, it is said that a blind man touched his lifeless body and regained his sight.
In addition, a holy hermit saw two blazing stars overpass and take a single star with them to Heaven. Albert the Great is believed to have experienced great revelations at the passing of St. Thomas, also. These are mere examples of the power that Thomas dAquino had over patrons of the thirteenth century and the spirituality that he symbolized. A passage from John Donne reads, And therefore St. Thomas, a man neither of unholy thoughts, nor of bold or irreligious or scandalous phrase or elocution (yet I adventure nor so far in his behalf as Sylvestor doth), that it is impossible that he should have spoken any thing against faith or good manners, forbears not so say, that Christ was so much the cause of his death, as he is of his wetting which might and would not shut the window, when the rain beats in. It is shown how many felt about Thomas through literature that has carried through until today. Dante expressed his admiration and spiritual loyalty in his Paradiso, which clearly elaborates on St.
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Thomas Aquinas and his reflection on Dante. Cantos X-XIII involve Aquinas and his guidance. Dante portrays Thomas as the Dominican with insight of God as the source of his wisdom. He speaks as though God is speaking through him, and in Dantes paradise he is greatly influenced by the wise words of St. Thomas Aquinas. This is the case of many, today and long ago. Thomas wrote on many subjects, one being free choice of man. He writes, Without a doubt it must be said that man has free choice.
Faith demands that we hold this position, since without free choice one could not merit or demerit, or be justly rewarded or punished. There are clear indications of this if one considers the occasions when man appears to choose one thing freely and reject another. Finally, reason, too, demands that we hold this position, and following its dictates we examine the origin of free choice, proceeding in the following manner. With this as just an example of the work of Thomas Aquinas, it is believed that his teachings were those from above, and his insight on many subjects of life have come to shape the views and reason of many men. Since the days of Aristotle, probably no one man has exercised such a powerful influence on the thinking world as did St. Thomas.
His authority was very great during his lifetime. The popes, the universities, the studia of his order were anxious to profit by his learning and prudence. Several of his important works were written at the request of others, and his opinion was sought by all classes. On several occasions the doctors of Paris referred their disputes to him and gratefully abided by his decision. His principles, made known by his writings, have continued to influence men even to this day. The whole life of St. Thomas was spent in a so noble and so spiritual way that already many of his contemporaries had conceived the greatest admiration and veneration for him.
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It was natural that after his death his cult should begin. Word count: 1435 Sources: Pieper, Joseph. Guide to Thomas Aquinas. New York: Ignatius Press, 1991..
