Help Understanding St. Thomas Aqunias!

[Image_of_God]

I am reading Summa Contra Gentiles and I cannot understand a thing he is saying! I have absolutely no clue what St. Thomas is trying to get at. How can theologians referr to the books as “simple?”
Does anyone have any tips on understanding what St. Thomas is writing?

I would really appreciate this. I really want to know his writings.

 

[kupi99]

First off, don’t get upset over not understanding Thomas on the first reading. Bear in mind the theologains who say Thomas is simple have earned their Ph.D’s and as such, have most likely read his writings, and studied then alot.

I’ve never read Summa Contra Gentiles, but I read and studied some of the Summa Theologica. Here are some ideas from things that help me:

• It helps to not read in order. Thomas likes to write things in the order of being. Like in the Summa (only thing I’ve read, sorry), he starts with a section on God in Himself (as absolute being), then man in himself, then morals. However, its generally easier to start off with things that aren’t super abstract (like God and who He is in ulimate being), and use concrete stuff like morals, and work your way up. So don’t necessarily start at the beginning.
• It helps to keep reading. I know this sounds wierd, but it does. Sometimes the intial explaintion Thomas makes is as clear as mud, but as he keeps explaining different things about the point, it gets clearer. Sometimes not, this is kinda hit and miss.
• It helps to have some philosophical background. The Philosopher that Thomas keeps refering to when he says things like, “as it noted by the Philosopher that…” is Aristotle. It helpful if your fimilar with some Aristotlian concepts, like matter/form, act/potency, etc…
• Get a study guide, or someone who can help you work through it, who has read it and understands it. There are things in there that help is greatly appericated. Thomas will do things like use terms we use in every day speech, with a very percise philosophical meaning, sometimes it will literally seem like he’s using the same words with two definations, and this is due to translation difficulties of Latin into English, etc…

I hope this helps! If it helps any, I know how you feel! I’m a grad student, and we’re reading alot of Thomas this semester, and I struggle through alot of texts too! Good luck!

-Haley

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

I am reading Summa Contra Gentiles and I cannot understand a thing he is saying! I have absolutely no clue what St. Thomas is trying to get at. How can theologians referr to the books as “simple?”
Does anyone have any tips on understanding what St. Thomas is writing?

I would really appreciate this. I really want to know his writings.

His Summa Theologiae was begun for the benefit of beginners in theology (I’m assuming you have that in mind) - the students he had in mind in the 1260s would not have come to the study of theology without having studied some philosophy, and a lot more.​

That is not the sort of background most of us have now

The SCG is philosophical apologetic - neither work is simple, by any means.

I suggest you read an introduction to Saint Thomas before trying to understand the texts. Anything by Brian Davies, O.P., for instance - who is very accessible as well as very high-powered; he’s good at explaining complex concepts.

A biography I found very helpful was that by James A. Weisheipl, O.P. - ***Friar Thomas D’Aquino: ***His Life, Thought, and Works: with Corrigenda and Addenda. It’s out of print just now, but you may be able to find a second-hand copy.

An introduction from a Jesuit POV is that of Frederick Copleston, S.J., who is perhaps better known for his History of Philosophy.

See also: mb-soft.com/believe/txc/thomism.htm

& aquinasonline.com/

Hope that helps.

BTW - the online SCG has no introduction. There is a more recent (1956) translation by Anton C. Pegis, Vernon J. Bourke & others, in five volumes, which does: volume one is here

There is more Aquinas here: sophiainstitute.com/

 

[Image_of_God]

Thank you all. I will take the tips presented into consideration. I think it will take me a while to understand him, but once I do, I bet I will love 'em.