St. Thomas Aquinas, doctor of the Angels

Thomas Aquinas, a XNUMXth-century Dominican friar, was a brilliant theologian, philosopher and apologist for the medieval church. Neither handsome nor charismatic, he was suffering from edema and lopsided eyes that produced a deformed face. The introverted overweight, socially embarrassing, slowly speaking, has been nicknamed "the dumb ox" by his classmates at university. However, Thomas Aquinas is recognized today as the most significant voice in scholastic theology and biblical interpretation of the Middle Ages.

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Known for: Dominican friar and most influential writer and church theologian of the Middle Ages
Born: 1225, in Roccasecca, Italy
Died: March 7, 1274, Fossanova Abbey, Fossanova, Italy
Parents: Count Lundulf of Aquino and Teodora, Countess of Teano
Education: University of Naples and University of Paris
Published works: Summa Theologica (Summary of Theology); Summa Contra Gentiles (Summary against the Gentiles); Scriptum super Libros Sententiarium (comment on the sentences); De anima (on the soul); De Ente et Essentia (on being and essence); De Veritate (on the truth).
Noteworthy quote: claiming that Jesus Christ was simply a good teacher, Thomas Aquinas declared: "Christ was a liar, madman or Lord."
Early life
Tommaso d'Aquino was born in 1225 to Count Lundulf of Aquino and his wife Teodora, in the family castle in Roccasecca, near Naples, in the Kingdom of Sicily. Thomas was the youngest of eight brothers. Her mother was the countess of Teano. Although both parents descended from noble lines, the family was considered a strictly inferior nobility.

As a young man, while studying at the University of Naples, Aquino secretly joined the Dominican order of friars. He was drawn to their emphasis on academic learning, poverty, purity and obedience to a life of spiritual service. His family strongly opposed this choice, instead wanting Thomas to become a Benedictine and enjoy a more influential and wealthy position in the church.

By taking extreme measures, Aquino's family held him prisoner for over a year. At that time, they stubbornly conspired to tempt him away from his course, offering him a prostitute and even a position as archbishop of Naples. Aquino refused to be seduced and was soon sent to the University of Paris - at the time the main center for academic studies in Europe - to study theology. There he obtained the best theological education possible under the guidance of Albert the Great. Quickly understanding Aquino's intellectual ability and influence potential, his mentor declared: "Let's call this young man a dumb ox, but his bellow in the doctrine will one day ring out all over the world!"

Faith and reason
Aquino discovered that philosophy was his favorite field of study, but he tried to harmonize it with Christianity. In medieval thought, the challenge of reconciling the relationship between faith and reason emerged before and at the center. Able to distinguish between the two, Thomas Aquinas saw the theological principles of faith and the philosophical principles of reason not contradictory, but as sources of knowledge that both came from God.

Since Thomas Aquinas adapted Aristotle's philosophical methods and principles into his theology, he was challenged as an innovator by many Parisian masters in theology. These men already had a general dislike for Dominicans and Franciscans. As a result, they resisted his entry into the professor's ranks. But when the pope himself intervened, Aquino was soon admitted. He spent the rest of his life teaching theology in Paris, Ostia, Viterbo, Anagni, Perugia, Bologna, Rome and Naples.

St. Thomas Aquinas in charge of the sacrament
St. Thomas Aquinas in charge of the sacrament; Illustration from the painting by Louis Roux, 1877. De Agostini / Biblioteca Ambrosiana / Getty Images
Doctor of angels
The quality of Thomas Aquinas' intellect was so pure that he received the title of "Doctor of Angels". In addition to his vast knowledge of the Scriptures, he integrated all the great works of the Fathers of the Eastern and Western Church, in particular Sant'Agostino, Pietro Lombardo and Boezio.

In his life, Thomas Aquinas wrote more than 60 works ranging from biblical exposure to apologetics, philosophy and theology. While in Rome, he completed the first of his two masterpieces, Summa Contra Gentiles, an apologetic summary of the doctrine intended to convince non-believers of the reasonableness of the Christian faith.

Aquino was not only a man of intellectual studies, but he also wrote hymns, devoted himself to prayer and took time to advise his fellow spiritual pastors. Considered his best masterpiece, Summa Theologica, it is not only a timeless textbook on Christian doctrine, but also a practical, wisdom-rich guide for pastors and spiritual leaders.

Aquino's surviving biblical commentaries include the book of Job, an unfinished commentary on the Psalms, Isaiah, Paul's epistles and the Gospels of John and Matthew. He also published a commentary on the four Gospels compiled from the writings of the Fathers of the Greek and Latin Church entitled the Golden Chain.

In 1272, Aquino helped found a Dominican school of theological studies in Naples. While in Naples, on December 6, 1273, he had a supernatural vision after a mass during the feast of San Nicola. Although he had experienced many visions previously, this was unique. He convinced Thomas that all his writings were insignificant in light of what had been revealed to him by God. When he was invited to continue writing, Aquinas replied: “I can't do anything else. Those secrets have been revealed to me that everything I have written now seems to have little value. " Aquino put down his pen and never wrote a word again.

Despite being his most significant and influential work, Summa Theologica remained unfinished when Aquino died only three months later. At the beginning of 1274, Thomas was invited to participate in the Second Council of Lyon to help bridge the growing gap between the Eastern and Western Churches. But it never came to France. During his journey on foot, Thomas Aquinas fell ill and died in the Cistercian monastery of the Abbey of Fossanova on March 7, 1274.

St. Thomas Aquinas
Fifty years after his death, on 18 July 1323, Thomas Aquinas was canonized by Pope John XXII and by the Roman Catholic Church. At the 1567th century Council of Trent, his Summa Theologica was honored with a prominent place next to the Bible. In XNUMX, Pope Pius V appointed Thomas Aquinas "Doctor of the Church". And in the XNUMXth century, Pope Leo XIII recommended that Aquino's works be taught in all Catholic seminaries and theological faculties around the world.

Today Thomas Aquinas is still studied by biblical students and theological scholars of all denominations, including the evangelicals. He was a devoted believer, uncompromising in his commitment to Jesus Christ, in the study of Scripture and in prayer. His works are timeless and undeniably worthy of reading.