The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas (Five Volumes) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Fathers of the English Dominican Provinc (Translator)
Key Phrases: other holy writers, one æviternity, one angel enlightens, Reply Obj, Second Article, God Himself (more...)

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Product Description

Thomas Aquinas' best-known work is the Summa Theologica. As the title indicates, the Summa is a "summing up" of all that can be known about Christian theology.

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin (translation)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 3020 pages
• Publisher: Christian Classics (June 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870610635
• ISBN-13: 978-0870610639
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.5 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #58,391 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

247 of 249 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Single Foremost Work of Catholic Theology in History, March 7, 1999

By A Customer

St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica is the premier work of Catholic theology, studied at all major Catholic universities and seminaries, as well as by theologians and philosophers of religion of all denominations. Of St. Thomas' many works, this 5-volume masterpiece presents a systematic and organic treatment of several thousand important theological questions, ranging from God, the Trinity, and the nature of Christ, to the nature and psychology of the human person and the nature and mission of the Church. St. Thomas considers creation in its natural light, as well as under the operations of grace, including discussions of morality, redemption, the sacraments, and the operation of divine providence. The scope of topics is enormous, and these few hardly do justice to the contents.

The format of this work is arranged into individual articles for easy reading of St. Thomas' answers to individual questions, but there is a continuity to the way questions are raised and answered that makes the work a unified whole -- not simply a theological manual or encyclopedia, but also a profound read from cover to cover. A leading biographer of Thomas (O'Meara) has called the Summa "a cathedral of thought," which is perhaps the best description for such a short space here.

This translation has been prepared by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. This information is not evident in the on-line description, but it should be, since it is very important that the translation of the Latin is accurate and in conformity with modern usage. (I found out by searching the ISBN at the Library of Congress website). There are many translations of the Summa available, but not all are good. The English Dominican Father's translation is one of the best editions available, and widely recommended in scholarly circles.

While the Summa Theologica is available at libraries and on the internet, it is very convenient to own your own copy of such a large work. This edition is sturdily bound with decent margins for notes, with each of the 5 volumes of a portable size and weight. (The earlier two-volume editions are large and unwieldy.)

I heartily recommend this work and this particular edition of the Summa in English

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Work, Good Translation, November 7, 2006

By	James Layne (Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula, Ca) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Summa Theologica of Saint Thomas is without doubt one of the greatest works in the history of the Christian faith. The logical order and progression is simply amazing and the scope of the work monumental.

This translation is generally very close to the sense of the Latin original, although in a few cases I have noticed some strange differences. For example, in Pt. 1 Q.1 A. 4. The Dominican Fathers translate the Latin (which reads "Magis tamen est speculativa quam practica") as ". . . speculative rather than practical" although the Latin reads ". . . speculative MORE than practical." This is a substantial change in the meaning which ends up creating confusion in the next article when Thomas says that theology is ". . . partly speculative and partly practical". There are other variations from the Latin throughout the rest of the work, some more and less important.

I urge those who are interested in a serious study of Saint Thomas to use this text as an aid to a deeper study with the Latin. If this is not possible for you, this translation will nevertheless give you a good introduction and tool for an introductory and intermediate understanding of Saint Thomas's thought.

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars mind boggling masterpiece, August 2, 2000

By	louis smith (U.S.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica (5 volume set) (Paperback)

Thomas Aquinas has written a masterwork. Using the method of looking at the objections to a subject, then looking at the arguments for it, he comes up with the answer to many difficult theological and philosophical questions. He discusses who God is, the nature of man and his place in the universe, the signs of the hebrews concerning the end of days, the nature of the soul, what happens to the universe after Christs second coming, and a wealth of fascinating and intresting insights in the christian religion. The book is dense with information just waiting to be mined. I wish I could give it more than a thousand stars. It is brilliant. Thomas is a true scholar and a great mind. The set is somewhat expensive, but more than worth it!