Thomas Aquinas Entered His Eternal Rest

On March 7, 1274, Thomas Aquinas entered his eternal rest. Aquinas was born c. 1225 at Roccasecca near Aquino, Italy into a wealthy family. At an early age he was sent sent to the Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino for his education. In his late teens he decided to join the Dominican order and continued his studies under Albertus Magnus (the Great). He excelled in his studies and soon took up teaching positions.

As a student of both theology and philosophy, Aquinas sought to synthesize these two sciences. In philosophy he followed Aristotle, and in theology he followed Augustine. "Thus in Aquinas both Augustine and Aristotle meet, and the synthesis added an astonishing brilliance to such perennial problems as the relation of revelation and reason" (Hugh Kerr, Readings in Christian Thought, p. 103).

Thomas's greatest work, although incomplete, is his Summa Theologica. This work was written as a training tool for the church but, as Hugh Kerr has stated, it is now considered to be "the theologian's theology." Prior to his death, Aquinas began a Compendium Theologica which was intended to be a shorter summary of the Christian faith. We now have this in print, but it too remains incomplete.

With regard to Thomas's attempt to synthesize reason and revelation, and considering the question Tim addressed here, the following excerpt may be helpful:

To some extent God makes Himself known to men through a certain natural knowledge, by imbuing them with the light of reason and by giving existence to visible creatures, in which are reflected some glimmerings of His goodness and wisdom, as we read in Romans 1:19: "That which is known of God" -- that is, what is knowable about God by natural reason -- "is manifest in them" (namely, is disclosed to pagan peoples). "For God hath manifested it unto them," through the light of reason and through the creatures He has put in the world. The Apostle adds: "For the invisible things of Him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; His eternal power also and divinity" (Romans 1:20).

But this knowledge is imperfect because not even creatures can be perfectly comprehended by man and also because creatures are unable to represent God perfectly, since the excellence of the cause infinitely surpasses its effect. Therefore in Job 11:7 the question is put: "Peradventure thou wilt comprehend the steps of god, and wilt find out the Almighty perfectly?" And in Job 36:25, after affirming, "All men see Him," the speaker adds, "every one beholdeth afar off."
...

In order that true knowledge of God might spread throughout the whole human race, God the Father sent the only-begotten Word of His majesty into the world, that through Him the entire world might come to a true knowledge of the divine name. (Light of Faith: The Compendium of Theology, pp. 348-350)

Elsewhere Thomas writes,

For the human intellect is not able to reach a comprehension of the divine substance through its natural power. For, according to its manner of knowing in the present life, the intellect depends on the sense for the origin of knowledge; and so those things that do not fall under the senses cannot be grasped by the human intellect except in so far as the knowledge of them is gathered from sensible things. Now, sensible things cannot lead the human intellect to the point of seeing in them the nature of the divine substance; for sensible things are effects that fall short of the power of their cause. Yet, beginning with sensible things, our intellect is lead to the point of knowing about God that He exists, and other such characteristics that must be attributed to the First Principle. There are, consequently, some intelligible truths about God that are open to the human reason; but there are others that absolutely surpass this power. (Readings in Christian Thought, p. 108)

Readings in Christian Thought edited by Hugh T. Kerr (Abingdon, 2nd ed., 1990)

• St Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica 5 vols (Christian Classics, New ed., 1981)
• Summa Theologia: A Concise Translation (Spring Arbor)
• On Evil: Disputed Questions (Univ. of Chicago)
• Summa Contra Gentiles Book One: God (Univ of Notre Dame, 1997)
• Summa Contra Gentiles Book Two: Creation (Univ of Notre Dame, 1992)
• Summa Contra Gentiles Book Three: Providence (Univ of Notre Dame, 1991)
• Summa Contra Gentiles Book Four: Salvation (Univ of Notre Dame, 1989)

Thomas Aquinas Entered His Eternal Rest