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Summary: The greatest scientific work in theology ever written
Review: St. Thomas Aquinas and Aristotle together are the greatest philosophers ever. In the Summa Theologiae of St. Thomas is contained both the science of theology and as a necessary preliminary many of the conclusions of the philosophical sciences. Therefore the work is not only for Catholics who believe in the principles of theology, which are the articles of Catholic faith, but for every non-Catholic investigating the truths of the natural order, philosopher or otherwise. In fact this summa in the science of theology presupposes the knowledge of Aristotelian philosophy. Every branch of theoretical theology is included in this work from Trinitarian theology, soteriology, angelology, theological anthropology, Christology, sacramental theology, to eschatology. Moral theology is presented in ST II-II. In philosophy ST I and III includes metaphysics and natural philosophy as a necesarry preliminary to Trinitarian theology, angelology, and theological anthropology. ST I-II presents moral philosophy as a necessary preliminary to moral theology. This work was what Newton's Principia's has become in the modern age to a certain degree. The biggest difference is that the Summa Theologiae is a Treatise in the supreme science of theology where as Newton's great work is in mathematical physics, the science of nature qua quantifiable. All intellectuals deserve the reward of reading the beauty of the Summa, however St. Thomas did not intend his work to be "respected" only but intended it to demonstrate theological conclusions and their necessary philosophical preliminaries. Therefore those that praise Aquinas without assenting to his fundamental conclusions are sound and fury signifying nothing. Only the truth counts. A recommended propadeutic to the Summa for beginners is Leo XIII's Aeterni Patris, the papal encylical contained in this edition of the Summa, a Scholastic dictionary of technical terms, Reginald Garrigou- Lagrange's Thomism: A synthesis of reality, and an introduction to the metaphysics of St. Thomas(contains a good selection of metaphysical texts with little commentary) . Lagrange's commentaries on the Summa are also great and to be recommended. For the advanced student, a textbook in Aristotelian logic is necesary( John of St. Thomas' Outlines of Formal Logic is a good work written by a famous Thomist) along with a good knowledge of Aristotle's works and St. Thomas' commentaries on them. The Metaphysical Thought of Thomas Aquinas by John Wippel is greatly recommended. Once one understands, for both beginners and advanced students, the meaning of the terms, then of the propositions, you will necessarily assent to the demonstrative and probative nature of the Thomistic arguments. This is true science. The problem is that the majority of people do not understand Aristotelian-Thomistic terms and propositions and consequently out of ignorance reject the Thomistic arguments and their conclusions. Finally for students in theology, the Sources of Catholic Dogma( Denziger) is strongly recommended for the magisterial definitions of faith and morals and thereby the principles of theology. I have said enough but there is so much more to say. All students of the Summa ought to come ready to be surprised and once learning the terminology to be excited because you have never seen philosophy or theology like this before, as SCIENCES WITH DEMONSTRATED CONCLUSIONS and not exercises in illogicality and subjective feelings as in modern philosophy and "theology". St. Thomas is the supreme human intellectualist( which necesarrily is both anti-rationalist and anti-irrationalist). You simply have not seething anything like it in modern times.
Rating:
Summary: The Single Foremost Work of Catholic Theology in History
Review: St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica is the premier work of Catholic theology, studied at all major Catholic universities and seminaries, as well as by theologians and philosophers of religion of all denominations. Of St. Thomas' many works, this 5-volume masterpiece presents a systematic and organic treatment of several thousand important theological questions, ranging from God, the Trinity, and the nature of Christ, to the nature and psychology of the human person and the nature and mission of the Church. St. Thomas considers creation in its natural light, as well as under the operations of grace, including discussions of morality, redemption, the sacraments, and the operation of divine providence. The scope of topics is enormous, and these few hardly do justice to the contents.The format of this work is arranged into individual articles for easy reading of St. Thomas' answers to individual questions, but there is a continuity to the way questions are raised and answered that makes the work a unified whole -- not simply a theological manual or encyclopedia, but also a profound read from cover to cover. A leading biographer of Thomas (O'Meara) has called the Summa "a cathedral of thought," which is perhaps the best description for such a short space here. This translation has been prepared by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. This information is not evident in the on-line description, but it should be, since it is very important that the translation of the Latin is accurate and in conformity with modern usage. (I found out by searching the ISBN at the Library of Congress website). There are many translations of the Summa available, but not all are good. The English Dominican Father's translation is one of the best editions available, and widely recommended in scholarly circles. While the Summa Theologica is available at libraries and on the internet, it is very convenient to own your own copy of such a large work. This edition is sturdily bound with decent margins for notes, with each of the 5 volumes of a portable size and weight. (The earlier two-volume editions are large and unwieldy.) I heartily recommend this work and this particular edition of the Summa in English
Rating: 
Summary: Great but Difficult
Review: St. Thomas' summa is one of the most important pieces in the history of Christian and Western thought. No one can properly understand the developement of early modern philosophy and theology unless they first have a firm grasp on Aquinas and medieval scholastic thought. However, reader beware! The summa is also one of the most difficult texts to read. Make sure you read up on secondary material before attempting Thomas' own writings. You will probably be easily discouraged.
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Summary: Profitable Even For Non-Catholics
Review: The Eucharist, Mary, the essence of God, how to obtain salvation, the nature of Christ! This set of books effectively affirms virtually every Catholic doctrine using Holy scriptures, philosophy, and theology in a way not forgetting reason, but embracing it!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliance!
Review: The Eucharist, Mary, the essence of God, how to obtain salvation, the nature of Christ! This set of books effectively affirms virtually every Catholic doctrine using Holy scriptures, philosophy, and theology in a way not forgetting reason, but embracing it!
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Summary: Classic Translation of a Classic Work
Review: The people of his time and culture knew him as "Tommaso D'Aquino." We know him as Thomas Aquinas ... but we also know him as probably the greatest, most systematic thinker that Christianity has ever produced. This five-volume work is the classic Dominican translation of his SUMMA THEOLOGIAE and is probably the most widely used English translation of the work. (As an aside, you may enjoy the encyclical of Pope Leo XIII that sought to rebuild Roman Catholic philosophy and theology on the work of Aquinas; it is included in this edition.) If your love is classic catholic theology, you need a copy of this work in your library. All of Roman Catholic theology was firmly based upon it for centuries and it remains an important foundation for modern catholic theology. Whether you buy it new or get yourself a used copy, you will enjoy the clear thinking process that Aquinas used as he explored the issues and questions of faith. Laid out question by question as Aquinas originally intended, this classic version of his work will endure for as long as the church endures. Though Aquinas seems to have suffered a breakdown at the end of his life and though he pronounced all of his work "but straw," I doubt that you'll agree with that assessment when you venture into this masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Translation of a Classic Work
Review: The people of his time and culture knew him as "Tommaso D'Aquino." We know him as Thomas Aquinas ... but we also know him as probably the greatest, most systematic thinker that Christianity has ever produced. This five-volume work is the classic Dominican translation of his SUMMA THEOLOGIAE and is probably the most widely used English translation of the work. (As an aside, you may enjoy the encyclical of Pope Leo XIII that sought to rebuild Roman Catholic philosophy and theology on the work of Aquinas; it is included in this edition.) If your love is classic catholic theology, you need a copy of this work in your library. All of Roman Catholic theology was firmly based upon it for centuries and it remains an important foundation for modern catholic theology. Whether you buy it new or get yourself a used copy, you will enjoy the clear thinking process that Aquinas used as he explored the issues and questions of faith. Laid out question by question as Aquinas originally intended, this classic version of his work will endure for as long as the church endures. Though Aquinas seems to have suffered a breakdown at the end of his life and though he pronounced all of his work "but straw," I doubt that you'll agree with that assessment when you venture into this masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Uni versus, god as the ultimate end of all creation
Review: The Summa Theologica is the masterwork of an indefatigable outstanding man who, having what is reputed to be the most prodigious mind of his time, pursued the mind of God (mens Dei) as his philosophical goal. He could have opted instead to follow (rather lamely it must be said) a militar career as his brothers did, or a bishopric in a rich country in northern Italy near the state of his rich father, supported by his family wealth and background, being akin to the most important men of his time (he was nephew to Frederick II, privy to Saint Louis, king of France, and many others potentates of his epoch). But he decided to be simply a humble Dominican friar , sloughing of all the perquisites of wealth, to be totally devoted to settling down the most intricate points in the Catholic doctrine, to be equaled only by Saint Augustine in doctrinal preeminence, his rulings being adopted as authoritative enough to be perused by popes and religious scholars inside and outside of the church for the next centuries. His access to the library of the University of Paris, where he studied for many years and where he got the nickname the Dumb Ox, that was to be his personal trademark for eternity, was instrumental to his reading of ALL that had to be read at the time, being his mastering of Greek a plus he had against Saint Augustine, who never got familiar enough with that language.
The importance Plato had for Saint Augustine, Aristotle had for Thomas Aquinas, who respectfully called him The Philosopher (sic). The Summa Theologica is an attempt by Aquinas to solve the most troublesome points in doctrine, a monumental task tried before by many who attempted to conciliate the Greek Church and Roman Church rulings (cannons), the then powerful philosophical Arabic influence, being the Arabic philosophers the first who rescued Aristotle from the ashes of Augustianism, the efforts of Albert Magnus - who was praeceptor of Aquinas - to evolve science from Alchemy etcetera. It is interesting to note here that the name science(from scio in Latin) , as happens with many others names used in the book , had a very different meaning then , as compared with the meaning it had since the beginning of the development of modern sciences.
Using primarily an Aristotelian toolbox and terminology, but always faithfull to the Holy Scripture - and thus entangled in a rather sly explanation of Creationism - being the Bible authoritative enough to him as the own word of God, Aquinas establishes a rather apt hierarchical order in the world between all being (ens) and creatures (criaturae), some of them only possesed of material substance, some immaterial (angelus), and some with intermediate properties, being both material and immaterial (humans). To him, the soulless (sine animae) material being was always oriented to the soulful material being and then to the immaterial as its superior, e.g., stone to plants, plants to irrational animals and the latter to the rational ones, that is, to human beings, who by means of his intelect could reach na understanding of God trough His output (effects), that is, the created world.
Being both material and immaterial, homo naturaliter orientatur ist ad superiorem in the hierarchical order (ordo) that is, the angels, who were the supreme creatures of God. But what is God? Sorry, but there is no answer to this question: according to Aquinas, we only know that He is (quid est) trough His works, but will never know what He is (qui est), being the final contemplation of God the Supreme Good (sumum bonum) and the final goal of man. His explanation of good (bonum) as created by God and evil (malum) as a deprivation of good instead of its antipodal opposite, thus making man responsible for his acts via liber arbitrium, and quenching Manicheism - who affirmed that God created the immaterial beings and the Devil the material one - is magistral and is worthy the effort of reading a so difficult and voluminous book.
His explanation of God as an ens composed of three coeternal persons in just one substance and living out of time (per se subexistente, a tempori non mensuratur) gives the reader sheer ecstasy in getting contact with one of the most prodigious philosophers of all times, no matter what the reader's creed. The sheer independence (but not indiference) of God as regarding human beings, because God loves himself preeminently (quia Dominus seipsum amat) is also notewhorthy.
To sum it up, what you have in your hand is the work of the most genial man of his time, who sent rippling waves of influence troughout the world as no other philosopher (or ox) did for many centuries to come.
Rating:
Summary: mind boggling masterpiece
Review: Thomas Aquinas has written a masterwork. Using the method of looking at the objections to a subject, then looking at the arguments for it, he comes up with the answer to many difficult theological and philosophical questions. He discusses who God is, the nature of man and his place in the universe, the signs of the hebrews concerning the end of days, the nature of the soul, what happens to the universe after Christs second coming, and a wealth of fascinating and intresting insights in the christian religion. The book is dense with information just waiting to be mined. I wish I could give it more than a thousand stars. It is brilliant. Thomas is a true scholar and a great mind. The set is somewhat expensive, but more than worth it!
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Summary: UNDERSTANDING ATTAINED IN THE SUMMA
Review: WORD HAS IT THAT AN ANGEL HELPED THOMAS WRITE THIS EXTENSIVE WORK WHICH ANSWERS QUESTIONS YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO BUT DIDN'T THINK ANYONE WOULD HAVE EVER PUT IT IN PRINT. CATHOLICS WILL FIND IT INVALUABLE IF THEY ARE SEEKING REASONS WHY AND WHY NOT, AND IF YOU SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T (HAVE SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE FOR INSTANCE OR SLEEP WITH YOUR WIFE WHEN SHE'S GOT HER FRIEND.) I MEAN ALL SUCH PRACTICAL OCCURENCES ARE CONSIDERED IN THE CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE THAT WILL ENLIGHTEN AND PROBABLY RETURN YOU TO THE FAITH. SUPPORTIVE SCRIPTURE IS FREQUENTLY, UNITINGLY REFERENCED IN THIS MOST THOROUGH WORK OF ART-THIS IS THE HEALING DOCTOR YOU NEED TO READ AND BECOME FAMILIAR WITH.
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