Aquinas' Summa Theologica I (SCM Briefly) - Softcover

Daniel, David Mills

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0334040353 ISBN 13: 9780334040354

Publisher: SCM Press, 2006

Synopsis

Aquinas' Summa Theologica is his most famous work. It was intended as a manual for beginners as a compilation of all of the main theological teachings of that time and consists of a summary of the reasonings for almost all points of the Catholic faith. It is the fullest presentation of his views and covers the widest range of subjects - reason, sin, just war to name but a few - in detailed philosophical language. He worked on it from 1265 until the end of his life in March 1274. When he died, he had reached Question ninety of Part III, on the subject of penance. The work is in three parts, dealing firstly with questions of God, then in part II with man's striving for the highest end, and in the third part with Christ and the union between human and divine. Each part is structured as a series of questions and assertions and relies heavily upon key thinkers and writers at that time, including Aristotle, St Augustine, Dionysius and Rabbi Moses.

About this title

Review:

The author makes modest claims for his book, calling it 'basic' and far from comprehensive. Nevertheless, much useful information can be found here, and it is a good school reference book for students with a grasp of Christian terms. Protestants will not be much confused over beliefs they share with Roman Catholics: 'grace' is helpfully projected into sanctification as well as forgiveness; 'justification' does not say that God sanctifies us to make us forgiveable, but it comes close. Recommended. Richard Wilkins, School governor and former General Secretary of ACT, ACT, 2004.

From the Author:

Hello there. I am David Mills Daniel, creator, editor and principal author of the SCM 'Briefly' series.The series is designed to enable students to acquire knowledge and understanding of key texts in Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Theology and Ethics. The books in the series are especially helpful to those following university and A-level courses in Philosophy, Ethics and Theology/Religious Studies in the UK (and similar courses in other parts of the world), but will also interest anyone looking for a short guide to the ideas of a particular philosopher or theologian. Each 'Briefly' takes a piece of work by one philosopher or theologian and provides a detailed summary of the original text, which adheres closely to it, and contains direct quotations from it, enabling the reader to follow each development in the argument. Throughout the summary, there are page references to the original work, giving ready access to the primary text. There is a concise chapter-by-chapter overview section, designed for quick reference to the detailed summary, and which is handy for revision. The context section gives biographical information about the philosopher or theologian, discussion of the main ideas in the primary text, a bullet-pointed list of the main issues and suggestions for further reading. There is an extensive glossary of terms. I have already mentioned our dedicated website. As well as information about the series, it contains `Briefly Forum', focusing on the main ideas and arguments in one of the `Brieflys', and giving you the opportunity to share your views with others who are interested in these fascinating questions. At the moment, the featured book is 'Briefly: Plato's The Republic'. A new book will be featured each month. You will also find an `Ask the Author' facility, so that you can contact me with any questions or queries you have about the 'Brieflys' and/or philosophical or theological issues generally. A main aim of the series is to make the writings of the great philosophers and theologians more accessible, and the website is there to support this aim. So, do visit the website, make use of what it offers, and e-mail us with any suggestions you have for its development.

About this edition

• Publisher: SCM Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0334040353
• ISBN 13: 9780334040354
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 114