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Biography:
Saint Thomas Aquinas (c.1225-1274) was a scholastic philosopher and Dominican whose work
had an enormous influence both on the course of Christian theology and on the course
of philosophy generally.
Before Aquinas' work, the dominant figure in Western philosophy was Augustine, who emphasized the principles of God's sovereignty and the importance of revelation. The translation of Aristotle's works threatened this, however, because it appeared to give primacy to individuals and their own knowledge. It was impossible to either suppress or ignore Aristotle, but no one was having much success with reconciling Aristotle with traditional Church doctrine.
It was Aquinas who was finally able to make Aristotle's philosophy "safe" for Christianity. According to Aquinas, both sense experience and revelation provided truths for human beings - and, because both are true, both will always agree and will never contradict. Sometimes there will be truths which can only be known through one or the other - however, at no point will even these independent truths come into conflict with one another.
The recognition that empirical senses and reason could arrive at the same truths as revelation helped in the development of "natural theology," or the attempts to prove the existence of God through reference to natural facts about the world rather than through reference to scripture. Aquinas is particularly well known for his "Five Ways," five proof for the existence of god which rely upon the use of reason and empiricism rather than revelation.
Select Quotes:
Clearly the person who accepts the Church as an infallible guide will believe whatever the Church teaches. [Summa Theologica]
That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell. [Summa Theologica]
If forgers and malefactors are put to death by the secular power, there is much more reason for excommunicating and even putting to death one convicted of heresy. [Summa Theologica]
As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active power of the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex; while the production of a woman comes from defect in the active power.... [Summa Theologica,Q92, art. 1, Reply Obj. 1]
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Related Resources:
What is Christianity?
What are the various Christian groups, denominations, sects and heresies? What are some key concepts in Christian theology? What are some of the most important events in Christian history? All of this and more are covered in the Christianity FAQ.What is the Philosophy of Religion?
Sometimes confused with theology, the Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, religious arguments and religious history. The line between theology and the philosophy of religion isn't always sharp, but the primary difference is that theology tends to be apologetical in nature, committed to the defense of particular religious positions, whereas Philosophy of Religion is committed to the investigation of religion itself, rather than the truth of any particular religion.What is Theism?
What is the difference between monotheism and monolatry? Between pantheism and panentheism? How about between animism and shamanism? Or theism and deism? What the heck is henotheism?What is Religion?
A system of human beliefs, ideals and practices which is harder to define than it may at first appear. Read more about how dictionaries, scholars and others have tried to define and explain religion.
