A Summa of the Summa: The Essential Philosophical Passages of st Thomas Aguinas Summa Theologica Edited and Explained for Beginners [Hardcover]

For those unaware, Thomas Aquinas was the Catholic scholar who produces two L*A*R*G*E, multi-volume books on Catholic theology: "Summa Contra Gentiles" and "Summa Theologica," the latter being a summation of Catholic theology. This book is a summation of "Summa Theologica," and serves as a handbook and thumbnail for both Catholic Theology and Philosophy and Christian philosophy in general.

Aquinas has a sharp mind and can both divide the word and divide a question in a way that few others can. I am not Catholic, but stand in deep admiration for Aquinas's work and mind, and more especially because he minded his work by working his mind.

The Book:

Kreeft has selected the essential texts and questions that illuminate aspects of Thomistic philosophy/theology. He has the text with explanatory notes in footnotes, which is unusual since we are not reading a summery or rephrasing of Aquinas, but actually reading his words and ideas, unfiltered and undistorted.

His chapter divisions follow closely the divisions used in the whole "Summa Theologica," and focus primarily on the first part of part one, and the second part of part two of the "Summa Theologica," and doesn't deal with the latter books that deal with the church and the nature of sacraments. This summation, therefore, would not be offensive to any Christian.

The notes are gems, especially with his illustrations--Kreeft has united his analytical left-brain with his creative right brain, so there is no double-mindedness with what he is doing. His pictures save a thousand words!

The glossary is helpful for the Latin words and technical terms that have a specialized meaning in Thomism.

The Printing:

This book uses the "Fathers of English Dominican Province" translation, which bears the Nihil Obstant and Imprimatur, the Roman Catholic "Good housekeeping Seal of Approval" that lets us know the text has passed the censor. It is approved for Catholic consumption! As a non-Catholic, this because important because I do not want distorted doctrine misrepresenting their true beliefs.

The type and font are perfect, and I have not seen any typos. The cover is very engaging, with triumphal Thomas with the angels--the Angelic Doctor.

In light of this quirk of the modern American mind, this volume by Peter Kreeft is quite valuable. He has distilled from the "Summa Theologica" of St. Thomas Aquinas the fundamental kernals of philosophical and theological truth necessary to even to begin to appropriate Catholic theology. (Or ANY systematic theology, for that matter.)

The volume is not a substitute for the original (and I don't believe that Kreeft would want it to be). Rather, it serves as an introduction -- a whetting of the appetite, and an encouragement toward stretching one's perspectives and thought processes.

Highly recommended.