Thomas Aquinas is unquestionably one of the most influential thinkers of western civilization. His way of seeing the world and his vitality in explaining the Christian faith have influenced scholars, mystics, philosophers, theologians, politicians, and artists for well over half a rnillenium. In this new volume, Thomas F. O'Meara, O.P., considers Aquinas as a theologian and a teacher, examining the effects of his influence on past and present western thought.
Drawing on the tradition of the Dominican Order and over twenty-five years of classroom teaching, O'Meara makes a well-qualified guide to the faith and vision of Thomas Aquinas. Introducing readers to the cultural and theological worlds of Aquinas, O'Meara examines the Summa theologiae in terms of its purpose and multiple structures. Also, he conducts a tour through the great themes of Christianity as presented in the Summa---themes which range from the Triune divine being, to the graced person as the image of God and a member of the body of Christ, to life beyond death.
O'Meara complements his study with an overview of six centuries of interpretation of Aquinas, revealing how many schools and disciples have advocated and employed his thought. Providing a vivid contemporary exposition of Aquinas's theology, O'Meara reveals how it mirrored the creative directions of his personality as well as the times in which he lived, and also incorporated the cultural and scientific insights available to him. Also, O'Meara discusses how Aquinas's themes can contribute to meaningful study of contemporary theology, particularly in relation to psychology, art, and a theology of world religions.
An insightful contribution to our contemporary understanding of Aquinas, O'Meara's new book is intelligent, articulate, and .will prove accessible to beginning readers and veteran Thomists alike.
THOMAS F. O'MEARA, O.P., William K. Warren
Professor of Theology at the
University of Notre Dame. is the author of Church
and Culture: German Catholic
Theology, 1860-1914 (Notre Dame Press, 1992).
368 pages
24 ISBN 0-268-01898-7 $36.00 cloth
25 ISBN 0-268-0420I-2 $16.95 paper
June 1997 World Rights LC 96-26438
Available Sept. 1, 1997:
University of Notre Dame Press
Phone: 1-800-621-2736
FAX: 1-800-621-8476