Thomas Aquinas in 50 Pages: A Layman's Quick Guide to Thomism

Well as a lifelong protestant with a love for Christian apologetics I am a tad bit ashamed to say I never read anything about Thomas Aquinas. Needless to say I am working on becoming Catholic through RCIA and during a fun talk with my priest he recommended this book. Well what can I say- I have tons of books on order about Thomas Aquinas now... all thinks to my Priest and the author of this book Taylor Marshall.The book itself is very clear and not in any way a dry academic text that I feared it could have been. In fact the author repeatedly uses computer analogies that really helped me understand the data presented. This is not a boring dry religious text. It's a philosophical and theological roller coaster in fifty pages. Fit for anyone raised in the solid state age.

THE DUMB OXThomas Aquinas was born in 1225. He is called “Aquinas” because he was born near Aquino, Italy. His noble parents were in the Hohenstaufen dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. His uncle was the Abbot of Mount Cassino, where Thomas studied. Legend says that Thomas' classmates nicknamed him “the dumb ox” because Thomas was big, but quiet, and his silence was taken for ignorance. Little did they know...WHERE DOES KNOWLEDGE COME FROM?Thomas believes that some truths can be learned through reason, such as “God exists,” “humans have an immortal soul,” and “Do not steal.”Other truths can only be learned only by revelation from God, such as, “God is a Trinity,” “Jesus is the Son of God,” “There is a heaven and a hell,” and “Jesus will judge the living and the dead.”Human intellect has potential to grow. God's intellect cannot grow since He knows everything. His intellect is “Pure Act.” We have five ways of acquiring knowledge: sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch.THE FOUR CAUSES (or reasons for something)Formal Cause (Idea)Material Cause (Materials)Efficient Cause (Agent)Final Cause (Purpose)DOES GOD EXIST? FIVE ARGUMENTSPhilosophy can reason that God does exist, but not “Who is God and what is His plan for me?”1. Argument from Motion.Some things are in motion.Nothing can move itself.Therefore, everything in motion was moved by something else.The sequence of motion cannot extend back into eternity.Therefore, there must be a first Unmoved Mover put into motion by no one, who is God2. Argument from Efficient Causes.Nothing exists prior to itself.If a previous efficient cause does not exist, then neither does the thing that would result from it.But if the first thing in a series does not exist, nothing in the series exists.Therefore, the series of efficient causes cannot extend for infinity in the past, for nothing would exist now.Therefore, it is necessary to admit a First Efficient Cause, who is God.3. Argument from Possibility.Every being is a contingent being.There is a time when it did not exist.Therefore, it could not have always existed.Therefore, there could have been a time when nothing existed.Therefore, there would have been a time when nothing existed to bring any contingent being into existence.This produces an absurd conclusion from concluding that every being is a contingent being.Therefore, not everything can be a contingent being.Therefore, there is a being that exists of its own necessity, who does not receive existence from another being, but rather causes their existence. This being is God.4. Argument from Degrees of Being.Some beings are better or worse than other beings.Determining if something is better or worse requires appeal to the “best” of that being.The uttermost in any genus is the cause of all in that genus.Therefore, there must be something that is to all beings the Cause of their being, Goodness, and Every Other Perfection. This is God.5. Argument from Design.Natural bodies work toward some goal, and do not do so by chance.Most natural things lack intelligence.What lacks intelligence achieves goals by being directed by something intelligent.Therefore, an Intelligent Being exists which directs all natural things to their end. This is God.ATHEISMWhat if an atheist is not convinced from these five arguments? God says, “The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'” (Psalm 13:1 or 14:1). Aquinas says that an atheist who does not accept these arguments is not a logical man, because these arguments are sound and reasonable. But atheists and heretics are what they are more because of moral failures, than logical ones.Atheists typically present moral arguments against the existence of God. “Why are children sold through human trafficking?” Why do babies die?” “Why is there so much suffering and evil in the world?” These are not direct arguments against God's existence, but against His goodness. How could a good God allow so much evil?The Christian answer is in the teachings on human free will, original sin, divine providence, and in God becoming a human being and suffering and dying on the cross for our sins. Ask the atheist to explain Why did the all-good God choose to suffer on our behalf?KNOWING ABOUT GOD vs. KNOWING GODWe cannot know God directly because He is infinitely greater than we are. But we can know Him by negation, WHAT HE IS NOT, and we can know Him by analogy, WHAT HE IS LIKE.KNOWING GOD BY NEGATIONGod is infinite.The Latin word “finis” means “boundary.” The negative pre-fix “in-” means “no.”God is infinite because He has NO boundaries or limits.God cannot change.To change is to move.But if God is the Unmoved Mover, then He cannot change.We add the negative prefix “in” to the Latin word “mutabilis” which mean “changeable.”God is immutability. He CANNOT change.KNOWING GOD BY ANALOGYUnivocal means the same, equivocal means different, and analogical means similar. When King David says, “The Lord is my rock” (Psalm 18:1), he means that God is LIKE a rock, strong and stable. Even if we say that God is perfect, our finite understanding of perfection doesn't come close to His infinite perfection.EXISTENCE AND ESSENCEThe Latin “esse” means “to be,” “being,” or “existence.”The Latin “essentia” means “what a thing is” or its “essence.”The greatest way of existing would be existence itself. This is God. He is being itself. He is not caused or created. Aquinas holds that God is being itself, confirmed in His words to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). God is existence, but He is not everything that exists because these things begin, move, change, and end, none of which is true about God. God's esse (existence) and essentia (essence) are the same, but this is not true of anything else.Since God IS being itself, and we only derive our existence from Him, there is an infinite chasm between God and us. We only know things through our five senses, but God is invisible and intangible and cannot be known through those senses. Our finite concepts of love and goodness and perfection can't describe His infinite love and goodness and perfection. So how can we know God?We can know His analogously. When we say, “God is perfect,” we mean that “God is LIKE our notion of perfection, only infinitely more so.”THE EIGHT ATTRIBUTES OF GOD1. God is simple. He does not have parts.2. God is perfect. He lacks nothing, and cannot improve.3. God is the greatest good. Nothing is more desirable than God.4. God is infinite. He has no limits.5. God is omnipresent. He is everywhere all the time. He is the Unmoved Mover who never moves from one location to another.6. God is immutable. He cannot change.7. God is eternal.8. God is one. Since He without parts, He cannot be divided. Also, He is infinite.ANGELSAngels were important to philosophers, who wanted to know if intellects existed without physical bodies. If angels do not have bodies, then in what way does Aquinas distinguish them from God, who also does not have a physical body? Whereas God's essence IS His existence, this is not true for angels, who have a beginning. They owe their existence to God. Fifth century Dionysius the Areopagite described angels as knowing God in a more direct way than humans. God created angels for different purposes.First HierarchyThese are angels who think about God alone. They think of His goodness as the goal of all creatures.1) Seraphim – Seraph means “to burn,” with the love of God.2) Cherubim – They consider the goodness of God as it applies to His creation, thus, God's providence.3) Thrones – They contemplate how the goodness of God relates to divine judgments.Second HierarchyThese are angels think about the most universal causes and principles of creation.4) Dominions – They organize and decree what should be done by lower angels.5) Virtues – They are responsible for the highest powers in the cosmos (gravitational pull of orbits and the burning of suns and stars).6) Powers – They protect the operation of the cosmos.Third HierarchyThese are angels who are only focused on earthly matters.7) Principalities – They oversee the general welfare of nations and the common good.8) Archangels – They mediate messages between God and humans. Michael protects the people of God. Gabriel delivered special messages to Daniel and Mary the mother of Jesus.9) Angels – These protect humans and deliver less important messages.The higher angels are closer to God and have less innate forms, because they more closely resemble God in His simplicity. Each lower level of angels assumes more innate forms, in order to relate to humans.GOOD and BAD ANGELSGod tested His angels. One-third of them fell on account of pride and envy. The devil wanted to be like God. “I will ascend into heaven...I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14). Augustine said that Satan wanted to be called God. God created the bad angels to be good, but they became bad when they chose themselves rather than God as their final cause (purpose).THE HIERARCHY of the HUMAN SOULThe highest power in the soul is the intellect, then the will, and then the passions. Concupiscible passions relate to personal survival (food, drink, sleep) and the survival of the species (sex). Irascible passions relate to personal survival in a “fight” or “flight” situation (anger, fear).GOVERNING OUR PASSIONSOur Eleven PassionsThe concupiscible passions of love and hatred, desire and aversion, and joy and sadness.The irascible passions of hope and despair, fear and daring, and anger.Our intellect is supposed to govern our passions through the reign of the will. Today, everyone assumes “being passionate” is a good thing. But it is bad if those passions are not submitted to reason. Controlling one's passions through the intellect and the will leads to patterns of good behavior called virtues. Bad patterns are called vices.HOW TO BECOME VIRTUOUSAugustine said, “Virtue is a good quality of the mind by which we live righteously, of which no one can make bad use, which God works in us, without us.According to Aquinas, the fourfold hierarchy of the soul is perfected by four virtues:Intellect (Prudence)Will (Justice)Irascible Passions (Fortitude)Concupiscible Passions (Temperance)PRUDENCEAugustine said, “Prudence is the knowledge of what to seek and what to avoid.”St Isidore said, “A prudent man foresees the event of uncertainties.”JUSTICEJustice is giving each person his due. Sins against justice include murder, injury, theft, gossip, cursing, vengeance, and cheating. To be just is to be fair in all your dealings and grateful to all your benefactors.FORTITUDEFortitude is deliberately facing dangers and bearing up under toils. Aquinas says martyrdom is the greatest act of fortitude because it overcomes the fear of death for the sake of man's final goal: God. But fortitude avoids foolish acts of daring. A man of fortitude is courageous, strong but not prideful, persevering and patient.TEMPERANCETemperance is the habit that perfects the desires for food, drink, and sex. Sins against temperance are the most disgraceful because they make us most like the irrational beasts. These sins include gluttony, drunkenness, and every form of lust including seduction, rape, adultery, fornication, incest, and sodomy. The temperate person eats only the calories his body needs, drinks in moderation without ever becoming drunk, is chaste in his thoughts, speech, and actions, and dresses modestly.Aquinas calls these four virtues “natural” because these habits can be learned by anyone.He then identifies three virtues that are supernatural that can only be cultivated through Jesus Christ.SUPERNATURAL VIRTUESFAITHThis is the belief in all the teachings of Jesus Christ as given to His twelve apostles, the “faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). These beliefs are summarized in the 14 articles of the Apostles' Creed, seven pertaining to the Godhead and seven pertaining to Christ's human nature.The Godhead1. God is One. (I believe in God)2. Father (the Father Almighty)3. Son (and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord)4. Holy Spirit (I believe in the Holy Spirit)5. Creation (Creator of heaven and earth)6. Grace (the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins)7. Glory (the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting)Christ's Incarnation1. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit2. born of the virgin Mary,3. suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;4. He descended into hell.5. On the third day He arose again from the dead;6. He ascended into heaven,7. and is seated as the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.HOPEHope applies the truths of faith to oneself. Christ died for ME. The sin of despair is falsely believing there is no hope for you. The sin of presumption is assuming you will enter heaven without needing the grace of God.LOVE or CHARITYThe object of this highest virtue is God and our neighbor. It is only possible to cultivate this by the grace of God. Charity produces joy, peace, mercy, and kindness. It opposes hatred, strife, sloth, envy, discord, sedition and scandal.Thomas Aquinas died on March 7, 1274. His last words were, “I receive Thee, ransom of my soul. For love of Thee have I studied and kept vigil, toiled, preached, and taught...”

Anyone who has read any of Thomas Aquinas' writings knows that they can be overwhelming.This book simplifies Thomas Aquinas and his philosophy so that the casual reader can grasp them... And is not condescending to the reader.So, if anyone wants to start reading Thomas Aquinas... This is an excellent starting point !

Quite honestly, this book is the best guide book to who St. Thomas Aquinas was, and what he taught that a beginning student of Thomism can possibly have. It will start you off explaining, in uncomplicated language, the essential key points from the Summa Theologica, and send you off for further exploration of all that is Thomism.

I wanted to learn about Thomas Aquinas so I got this introductory book, while the content of the book is great and the author goes into great depth to explain a lot of things in simple to understand language for a layman.I was surprised that someone of Thomas Aquinas calibre believed in some of the stuff he says in his writing.Waste of talent!

Best intro to Thomas I've read. Heartily recommend. "Clear explanations in layman's terms. Mild humor keeps the book interesting. Enjoyable.

This is a book you will read once and then keep coming back to it to see what Thomas Aquinas said. It belongs on every bedside table to be picked and refresh your memory about what he said or to contemplate what he said.

This is really the pre-primer on St Thomas Aquinas. Dr Marshall is an excellent teacher and the book is a great place to start.

This is a very well written introduction to Aquinas. Can't go wrong. I bought the summa thinking I could just crack on and understand it... errrm no, this little book really helped, almost like the author knew already that you don't just pick up the summa and, "crack on"

Excellent book, probably the first that manages in a nutshell to go to the essence of Thomas' teaching, when others get lost in a rigmarole of words...Rosa Pammer

I looked at a number of the videos from the Institute and many were too complicated for me to understand. I wanted a way into Thomism and this was excellent for that purpose

The author gives a good introduction to Thomas Aquinas if you are willing to accept a deeply uncritical approach. The author is of Christian faith and it shows throughout. This is not an objective introduction.The author for example presents the proofs of the existence of god from Thomas Aquinas as if they are settled logical conclusions that even a rational atheist could think through. This is problematic as these proofs are anything but settled, and are generally not given much credit nowadays by the majority of philosophers of religion. The authors biased presentation means we as readers may lack confidence in the rest of the authors material.

The best short introduction to Aquinas I have read. Simple and clear