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| | Description | Two years before he died, St. Thomas Aquinas - probably the greatest teacher the Church has ever known - was asked by his assistant, Brother Reginald, to write a simple summary of the Faith of the Catholic Church for those who lacked the time or the stamina to tackle his massive Summa Theologica. In response, the great saint quickly set down - in language that non-scholars can understand - his peerless insights into the major topics of theology: the Trinity, Divine Providence, the Incarnation of Christ, the Last Judgment, and much more. Here, then, is not only St. Thomas's concise statement of the key elements of his thought, but a handy reference source for the essential truths of the Catholic Faith. | |
| | Product Details | | Author: | St. Thomas Aquinas | | Paperback: | 432 pages | | Publisher: | Sophia Institute Press | | Publication Date: | December 01, 2001 | | Language: | Latin | | ISBN: | 1928832431 | | Package Length: | 9.2 inches | | Package Width: | 6.4 inches | | Package Height: | 1.5 inches | | Package Weight: | 1.55 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 11 reviews |
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The result of a life of contemplation Jun 08, 2010
St. Thomas Aquinas set out to write his Shorter Summa at the request of his assistant Brother Reginald. It was intended to be a summary of Aquinas' extensive Summa Theologica, yet produced in the language of laymen. It was also, therefore, intended to be a summary of the Faith of Christianity, accessible to all who could read. While it is still, at times, loftier than what many might easily grasp, the Shorter Summa is certainly shorter as well as comprehensible.
St. Thomas conveys his plan for this work in his introduction, stating "I shall treat first of faith, then of hope, and lastly of charity. This is the Apostle's arrangement which, for that matter, right reason imposes. Love cannot be rightly ordered unless the proper goal of our hope is established; nor can there be any hope if knowledge of the truth is lacking. Therefore the first thing necessary is faith, by which you may come to a knowledge of the truth. Secondly, hope is necessary, that your intention may be fixed on the right end. Thirdly, love is necessary, that your affections may be perfectly put in order." Unfortunately, Aquinas died prior to completing this work having really only begun the second part of the Shorter Summa, Hope. It would be difficult to call this work incomplete, however, as it is insightful from cover to cover. Indeed, the few chapters that Aquinas managed to complete on his section about hope might be an example of some of the most gracefully contemplative pieces of Christian theology ever written. The fact that this work is unfinished does not detract from it as it is; but only with respect to the idea of what it could have been.
The Shorter Summa should be read by all Christians, regardless of denomination. As St. Thomas Aquinas is a scholar of St. Augustine, it might also be helpful to first read Confessions (Penguin Classics), The City of God, and any other work of Augustine's that is readily available. If you have any inkling to read this work, please do, as you will not be disappointed.
Light of Faith May 05, 2010
"Aquinas' Shorter Summa" has been previously published as "The Compendium of Theology." You can find a complete, indexed version online, but I much prefer to settle in with a hard copy.
The Shorter Summa was authored by St. Thomas Aquinas himself in response to a request that I believe was from his secretary to provide a distillation of the Summa Theologica. St. Thomas died (at age 50) only 10 chapters into Part II, "Hope." Part I, "Faith" is therefore the main theme of this work. There was to be a third part - you guessed correctly, "Charity." The unfinished nature, however, is by no means a reason to pass this by. After finishing it, I understand why it also goes by a third published name, "Light of Faith."
Shortly after beginning I was tempted to stop and get some primers on Aristotle, basic philosophy, and theology. Instead, I decided to web search the concepts and terms I didn't understand as I went along, and in short order I felt up to the challenge. I'm glad I persisted because it was a delight to have St. Thomas as my instructor.
Each chapter builds on the teachings in previous chapters, so read them slowly. Re-read them, if need be, until the ideas crystallize, especially early on. Don't sell yourself short; it takes a bit of doing, but the reward is enormous. The teaching on the Trinity in chapters 37-50 was one of my favorite parts. Using the "light of reason" - a term itself you will understand better after St. Thomas - you will have new appreciation of why Jesus Christ is the Word of God.
Among the great services St. Thomas does in his writing is to show us how Christianity is truly a philosophy of Reason. Modernists, rationalists, and atheists who claim that religion in general and Christianity in particular is not reasonable are in truth the ones at odds with Reason. The Thomistic view is predicated on the fact of existence; it accepts creation, and the fact that there is a real world that we can experience through our senses. It also, of course, explains that there is much more beyond what our senses can experience.
The modern academic mind can't seem to get beyond "to be or not to be." Aquinas shouts to us the answer down through the centuries: "To be!"
This edition is sprinkled with helpful footnotes to cited bible verses, Church Fathers (St. Augustine prominent among them), and philosophers (Aristotle of course very prominent among these.) Cyril Vollert's translation is in very easy to understand English, and for a paperback, this volume is pretty sturdy. This was a wonderful choice for my first foray into Scholasticism and my first encounter with the Angelic Doctor.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Aquinas's Summa - challenging read Feb 13, 2009
This book is very challenging to read at times, however it was very interesting. Very thoughtful way of bringing it down to basic faith.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Excellent Compendium! Feb 07, 2009
I had never read St. Thomas and was affraid to start with any of his Summas, which I understand are lengthy and profound. However, I wanted to get a taste of some of the writings of whom has been considered the "Greatest Theologian of the Catholic Church". I came across this shorter version written by the very same St. Thomas, and alas!, I was not dissapointed.
The book was originally intended to cover the three Theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. This was no easy endeavor for the 50-year-old Dominican monk, who, at the request of his faithful helper and secretary, set out to write a concise version of his thoughts up to that moment, trying to keep it brief and down to the bones for the non-scholar public.
The result, this book, is one of the most easily-read catholic insights of all times, yet, rich and profound, with all the spiritual wisdom accumulated up to that time. Unfortunately, St. Thomas died half way through the task and managed to write only about Faith and (partially) about Hope.
His legacy remains one of the most important for any lay catholic -and christian- that wants to get to know more about his/her own faith.
Starting with the existence of God (the famous "5 ways of St. Thomas" for reason to find God in nature without the help of revelation), passing through the "great unknown" (the Holy Spirit) all the way to Jesus and the meaning of his message, St. Thomas (or "Aquinas", as it is known in the postmodern world), covers all the basic topics of the Blessed Trinity both from the points of view of plain Reason (man in the world) and Revelation (the word of God transmitted to us through the Bible and the tradition preserved by the Magisterium of the Church).
There are points in St. Thomas' discourse that have been further elucidated or clarified by the Church over the following 8 centuries, such as the belief in the special characteristics of the "Celestial Bodies" (the stars and planets) and other ideas inherited from the Greek tradition (such as the existence of only 4 basic elements, including fire and water).
However, most of what Aquinas wrote was and remains valid and has served as the basis for a multitude of Theologians, Catholics and non-catholics alike, to build upon and expand over time.
You may need some basic knowledge of the Christian Faith to understand some of the assertions made in the book. However, even if you have a very limited catequetical background, St. Thomas will guide you through and try to show you spiritual truths such as the existence of Evil, Divine Providence, Heaven and Hell, and other topics we hear so much about in church but know very little of, and help you to see them as what they are: Truths of a world we only understand with the eyes of faith, so important for us as the bowl of cereal you ate this morning, but with the capacity to trascend time and space into eternity.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
St. Thomas - an excellent teacher! Oct 22, 2007
As a late-coming student to theology and philosophy, I find St. Thomas's Concise Summa a wonderful teaching tool and resource for further understanding of the basic beliefs of Christianity. It is clear and easy to understand, and the only addtional resource I have found helpful is a dictionary of philosophical terms as I am weak in that area. Well worth your time!
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