First Glance At Thomas Aquinas (A Handbook for Peeping Thomists) [Paperback]

Ralph McInerny (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 198 pages
• Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press; 1 edition (December 30, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0268009759
• ISBN-13: 978-0268009755
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #345,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to a Great Saint, November 11, 2003

By 

W. Mark Smillie (Helena, MT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: First Glance At Thomas Aquinas (A Handbook for Peeping Thomists) (Paperback)

It looks like this book will soon be relegated to the used book market only, but for a great introduction to the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, in all its breadth, it is surely in the top 10. If you are looking for a leg up to tackling the saint yourself, this is the book for you. McInerny breaks the Saint's thought into topics, many of which are connected as the chapters progress. Each chapter is short and digestible--3 to 5 pages. Then a short selection in St. Thomas' own words: you are reading the man himself and understanding what he is talking about. It isn't a large, indepth study, but a great first step for neophyte thomists.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a First Glance, December 4, 2011

By 

Nancy Shanafelt - See all my reviews

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This review is from: First Glance At Thomas Aquinas (A Handbook for Peeping Thomists) (Paperback)

When I saw how thin the book was, I knew it would be just a glance, and I would want to know more. Just wanted a book for a Lay Dominicans assignment to get started in studying St. Thomas Aquinas and this was perfect..not brand new and in mint condition, but great. Glad to have Amazon.com to make this purchase of a great book to get started in our studies. It is a good first book of introduction to the studies of St. Thomas. You would want to take more glances at other books by this author, or at more books by or on St. Thomas after this....this is just a stepping off point for your knowledge on St. Thomas.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a First Glance, August 1, 2011

By 

Marcelo A. D'asero "Theodoros" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: First Glance At Thomas Aquinas (A Handbook for Peeping Thomists) (Paperback)

Ralph McInerny's "A First Glance at St. Thomas Aquinas" is truly a very good "first glance." The book is an excellent introduction for undergraduates and autodidacts to the principal philosophical positions held by St. Thomas. It should, however, be closely followed by a reading of Edward Feser's "Aquinas," along with "Aquinas 101," by Francis John Selman. These three texts together offer (i) a solid grounding in the basics of Aquinas, (ii) undo the misinformation about Aquinas that is normally offered in university survey of philosophy courses, and (iii) prepare the reader for more advanced study in "The Thought of Thomas Aquinas," by Brian Davies, and in "Reality: A Synthesis of Thomistic Thought," by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange. Of course, the three texts will facilitate the reading of St. Thomas's primary sources as well.