Is there a formula or key to reading St. Thomas Aquinas?

[chipperooh]

I have an english translation of Summa Theologia and its still Greek to me! My Priest tried to explain the formula for understanding St Thomas, but I did not have the book with me. Help!

 

[Areopagite]

Not entirely sure what you mean “formula of understanding.” Are you asking what the general setup Aquinas uses for each article? Or are you asking what are the basic philosophical principles he uses throughout the Summa?

The first one is easy, the second one … not so much.

I would strongly recommend not reading the Summa if you’re not familiar with Aristotle. And I would strongly recommend not reading Aristotle until learning basic philosophical grammatical and logical terminology (as traditionally taught in the “Trivium”). A good book to start out with is The Trivium by Sr. Miriam Joseph.

Those are my suggestions, but there have been some people who have been successful with the Summa in other ways.

 

[Magnanimity]

Chipperooh,

Please see the recent thread I’ve bumped up for you here in the Philosophy sub-forum titled “St Thomas Aquinas.” In it, very similar questions were recently raised. Hope it helps…

 

[jpk1313]

I just started reading the summa as well. His first argument on sacred doctern is central as all other arguments are built from that. He can be kinda confusing so I suggest start on the first argument and do not go onto the next till you understand it. take your time and pray about it. Ask the holy spirit to open your mind and ask St. tommy to pray for you as well. But in the end just take your time and if there is a word you don’t understand look it up. When I first started reading the summa it was gibberish to me but I’ve been pushing my way through it and it has started to open up to me it just takes time. One priest I consulted told me something that has stuck with me “St. Thomas Aquinas is one of the most profound and deep mystics the church ever produced but he talks in the language of philosophy and that tends to throw people off. The key to the summa and his arguments is what is central to the Catholic faith Jesus Christ, and our relationship with him. To know thomas’ thought is to put into action what Jesus said “behold I send you out as sheep amitst the wolves so be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves” Which in this case means allow your critical mind to be guided by the love of god.” Just keep at it and never never be afraid of asking questions.