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Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master
Thomas Aquinas is widely considered the greatest and most influential of Catholic theologians. Yet too often his insights into the nature of God and the meaning of life are seen as somehow cold, impersonal, and divorced from spirituality. In this award-winning book, Bishop Robert Barron shows how Aquinas’ profound understanding of the Christian mystical life animates and helps explain his writings on Jesus Christ, creation, God’s “strange” nature, and the human call to ecstasy.
“When one interprets Thomas merely as a rationalist philosopher or theologian, one misses the burning heart of everything he wrote. Aquinas was a saint deeply in love with Jesus Christ, and the image of Christ pervades the entire edifice that is his philosophical, theological, and scriptural work. Above all, Thomas Aquinas was a consummate spiritual master, holding up the icon of the Word made flesh and inviting others into its transformative power.”
“When one interprets Thomas merely as a rationalist philosopher or theologian, one misses the burning heart of everything he wrote. Aquinas was a saint deeply in love with Jesus Christ, and the image of Christ pervades the entire edifice that is his philosophical, theological, and scriptural work. Above all, Thomas Aquinas was a consummate spiritual master, holding up the icon of the Word made flesh and inviting others into its transformative power.”
152 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
93 people are currently reading
646 people want to read
About the author
Robert Barron
217 books860 followersBishop Robert Emmet Barron is an acclaimed author, speaker, and theologian. He is the former Francis Cardinal George Professor of Faith and Culture at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago and also is the founder of Word On Fire (www.WordOnFire.org).
Bishop Barron is the creator and host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking ten-part documentary series and study program about the Catholic faith. He is a passionate student of art, architecture, music and history, which he calls upon throughout his global travels in the making of the documentary.
Word On Fire programs are broadcast regularly on WGN America, Relevant Radio, CatholicTV, EWTN, the popular Word on Fire YouTube Channel, and the Word on Fire website, which offers daily blogs, articles, commentaries, and over ten years of weekly sermon podcasts. In 2010, Father Barron was the first priest to have a national show on a secular television network since the 1950s.
Fr. Barron received his Masters Degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America in Washington DC in 1982 and his doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Institut Catholique in 1992. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1986 and has been a professor of systematic theology at the nation's largest Catholic seminary, the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary since 1992. He was visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame in 2002 and at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in 2007. He was also twice scholar in residence at the Pontifical North American College at the Vatican.
In addition, Fr. Barron lectures extensively in the United States and abroad. Cardinal Francis George calls Fr. Barron “one of the Church’s best messengers.
Fr. Barron was baptized at Queen of All Saints Basilica in Chicago and grew up at St. John of the Cross parish in Western Springs, Illinois.
WordOnFire.org - Fr. Barron's website launched in 1999 and currently draws over 1 million visitors a year from every continent. Fr. Barron posts weekly video clips, commentaries and radio sermons and offers an audio archive of over 500 homilies. Podcasts of his sermons are widely used by tens of thousands of visitors each month.
TV - EWTN (The Eternal Word Television Network) and CatholicTV broadcasts Fr. Barron's DVDs to a worldwide audience of over 150 million people.
Radio - Since 1999, Fr. Barron's weekly Word on Fire program has been broadcast in Chicago (WGN) and throughout the country (Relevant Radio - 950 AM Chicago) to 28 million listeners in 17 states. Fr. Barron also is a regular commentator on the "Busted Halo Show" on the Sirius satellite radio network based in New York.
DVDs - Fr. Barron's DVDs are used as powerful faith formation tools in universities, schools, churches and homes around the country. The series includes Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues; Faith Clips; Conversion: Following the Call of Christ; and Untold Blessing: Three Paths to Holiness.
YouTube - With over 180 online video commentaries by Fr. Barron, over 1 million viewers worldwide have made him the most popular of any evangelist on YouTube. These frequent, high-quality productions include brief and lively theological reviews of contemporary culture, including movies such as No Country for Old Men, Apocalypto, and The Departed, a three-part critical review of Christopher Hitchen's book God is Not Great, The Discovery Channel's The Jesus Tomb, the HBO series "The Sopranos", "Rome" and more.
Missions - MISSION CHICAGO features evangelization lectures by Fr. Barron at the behest of Cardinal George. These special missions and presentations throughout the Archdiocese are centered in downtown Chicago and attract business, civic, and cultural leaders.
Books - His numerous books and essays serve as critical educational and inspirational tools for seminarians, priests, parishioners and young people worldwide. His published works are also central to the numerous retreats, workshop and talks that h
Bishop Barron is the creator and host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking ten-part documentary series and study program about the Catholic faith. He is a passionate student of art, architecture, music and history, which he calls upon throughout his global travels in the making of the documentary.
Word On Fire programs are broadcast regularly on WGN America, Relevant Radio, CatholicTV, EWTN, the popular Word on Fire YouTube Channel, and the Word on Fire website, which offers daily blogs, articles, commentaries, and over ten years of weekly sermon podcasts. In 2010, Father Barron was the first priest to have a national show on a secular television network since the 1950s.
Fr. Barron received his Masters Degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America in Washington DC in 1982 and his doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Institut Catholique in 1992. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1986 and has been a professor of systematic theology at the nation's largest Catholic seminary, the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary since 1992. He was visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame in 2002 and at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in 2007. He was also twice scholar in residence at the Pontifical North American College at the Vatican.
In addition, Fr. Barron lectures extensively in the United States and abroad. Cardinal Francis George calls Fr. Barron “one of the Church’s best messengers.
Fr. Barron was baptized at Queen of All Saints Basilica in Chicago and grew up at St. John of the Cross parish in Western Springs, Illinois.
WordOnFire.org - Fr. Barron's website launched in 1999 and currently draws over 1 million visitors a year from every continent. Fr. Barron posts weekly video clips, commentaries and radio sermons and offers an audio archive of over 500 homilies. Podcasts of his sermons are widely used by tens of thousands of visitors each month.
TV - EWTN (The Eternal Word Television Network) and CatholicTV broadcasts Fr. Barron's DVDs to a worldwide audience of over 150 million people.
Radio - Since 1999, Fr. Barron's weekly Word on Fire program has been broadcast in Chicago (WGN) and throughout the country (Relevant Radio - 950 AM Chicago) to 28 million listeners in 17 states. Fr. Barron also is a regular commentator on the "Busted Halo Show" on the Sirius satellite radio network based in New York.
DVDs - Fr. Barron's DVDs are used as powerful faith formation tools in universities, schools, churches and homes around the country. The series includes Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues; Faith Clips; Conversion: Following the Call of Christ; and Untold Blessing: Three Paths to Holiness.
YouTube - With over 180 online video commentaries by Fr. Barron, over 1 million viewers worldwide have made him the most popular of any evangelist on YouTube. These frequent, high-quality productions include brief and lively theological reviews of contemporary culture, including movies such as No Country for Old Men, Apocalypto, and The Departed, a three-part critical review of Christopher Hitchen's book God is Not Great, The Discovery Channel's The Jesus Tomb, the HBO series "The Sopranos", "Rome" and more.
Missions - MISSION CHICAGO features evangelization lectures by Fr. Barron at the behest of Cardinal George. These special missions and presentations throughout the Archdiocese are centered in downtown Chicago and attract business, civic, and cultural leaders.
Books - His numerous books and essays serve as critical educational and inspirational tools for seminarians, priests, parishioners and young people worldwide. His published works are also central to the numerous retreats, workshop and talks that h
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
October 1, 2019
Finished! Really ended up enjoying it especially the last chapter which answered questions about the body and soul after death. Left me wanting to read more about St. Thomas, a very good thing. Also, very good for meditation.
September 22, 2019: This is at least my third time to start this book and my countless try at innumerable other books on the Angelic Doctor. Everyone keeps suggesting this or that book on him as the one which cracked the code for them. Trust me, I probably already have all those books gathering dust on my bookshelves. But I have made it up to page 85 and past the first and third arguments for the existence of God and I am still following, even to article 5, part 3. Started this quite awhile ago but failed to record it because I have quit it so often before. So far so good ... still reading...
September 22, 2019: This is at least my third time to start this book and my countless try at innumerable other books on the Angelic Doctor. Everyone keeps suggesting this or that book on him as the one which cracked the code for them. Trust me, I probably already have all those books gathering dust on my bookshelves. But I have made it up to page 85 and past the first and third arguments for the existence of God and I am still following, even to article 5, part 3. Started this quite awhile ago but failed to record it because I have quit it so often before. So far so good ... still reading...
July 20, 2012
Barron does what few other are capable of; getting me to dislike a book on Aquinas. His insistence on changing the gender of pronouns at random in order to use "inclusive language" is confusing and off-putting. He changes pronouns from paragraph to paragraph and sometimes even sentence to sentence within the same paragraph, causing the reader to be unsure of whether or not the subject of discussion has changed.
While he does a fine job at explaining some of St. Thomas' thought Barron seems more intent on engaging in the political battles of academia. His subject matter deserves much better.
While he does a fine job at explaining some of St. Thomas' thought Barron seems more intent on engaging in the political battles of academia. His subject matter deserves much better.
August 17, 2020
This book wasn't what I originally thought it was going to be, i.e. the spirituality of St. Thomas explained perhaps in a narrative format. If this is what you are looking for, find a different book. But it is definitely worth the read. It was rather Bishop Barron's explanation on just how spiritual the writings of St. Thomas are. Picture Fr. Barron as a professor or rector of the seminary trying to help his students not only understand the material, but make it relevant to their life and spirituality.
Barron teaches us that back in St. Thomas' time there was little concept of separation of discipline, so his spirituality is within his work of the Summa Theologiae, and that our understanding of God necessarily affects the way we interact with God and live our life.
Barron teaches us that back in St. Thomas' time there was little concept of separation of discipline, so his spirituality is within his work of the Summa Theologiae, and that our understanding of God necessarily affects the way we interact with God and live our life.
August 16, 2015
..one of my favorite saints. Fr. Robert Barron depicts St. Thomas Aquinas not just a great Theologian but also a great Spiritual Master... wherein through his writings he lured his readers towards the Gospels and open up to Jesus Christ... A must read book for everyone...
June 18, 2018
As far as basic introductions to St. Thomas Aquinas go, any reader will find this small book a thought-provoking, yet very accessible read. Aquinas is not an easy read, and one often needs a good, solid guide. One finds such a person in the likes of Peter Kreeft, Thomas Joseph White, and of course, Edward Feser...
...and Robert Barron.
One of the reasons why a good, initial guide to Aquinas is necessary is that it's easy to find him dry, or if not, to get lost in the weeds. There's also an ability to read him wrongly. As Feser so aptly points out in Aquinas, what can often be a stumbling block to reading him-- such that he is often wrongly dismissed-- is because the modern reader often doesn't know what Aquinas actually means by certain terms. The basics of medieval metaphysics are therefore lost on us, and so we need an initiation.
Another way in which we moderns are apt to read Aquinas wrongly, Barron writes, is that we tend to separate Aquinas's spirituality from his theology when that separation would have made no sense to Aquinas. His spirituality is his theology and vice versa, and it-- and Catholicism-- has metaphysical import. How we do or don't understand reality is related to how we do and don't understand what we-- and St. Thomas-- mean by "God."
What Barron excels at is why Aquinas matters not just for academic theologians and philosophers-- or geeks-- but also for the average believer. He gives us an Aquinas who is rigorous but far from "dry," and he gives us an idea of why we should want to engage and allow ourselves to be engaged by him. His Aquinas is a "master of the sacred page," steeped in the reading and interpretation of Scripture; Thomism, therefore, isn't just philosophy. Moreover, toss out Thomas, and you toss out a powerful evangelical guide: Aquinas, as Barron recently related to Matt Fradd on the podcast Pints with Aquinas, isn't for everybody. But don't underestimate his ability to appeal to people. Aquinas appealed to the young Barron at fourteen, along with countless others-- because some people just are more reachable that way.
Also important in Barron's treatment of Aquinas is reading the Summa Theologiae with an eye toward practical spirituality. Other than to say that God is "the sheer act of To Be, itself," Aquinas's theology is more about who and what God is not. The reason is because he knows that we sinners commonly try to make God into something that he is not, all the more so that we might bracket him or avoid him, if not reject him outright, which are really a rejection of obedience that comes with the Fall. Thomas respects Reason as a gift from God-- which also means that he's a realist. He is well aware of the reality that all gifts can be misused or abused, because the human mind is fallen. So with God, we tend to grasp or hide. To reject who and what God is not (and this is a good link-up to a book like Ulrich Lehner's God is Not Nice) is crucial if we say we want a relationship with God. Because it means letting God be himself, as we ought to do and try to do with anyone we say we love. Idolatry would mean the opposite. Barron's approach to the Summa is to outline the common moves a sinner makes regarding God, which is really very helpful.
In short, this short book is worth reading, worth contemplating. Just get the recent edition, though. The earlier edition-- as Barron points out-- referred to God as "he," only to refer to him a couple of paragraphs afterward as "she." That got a bit weird, not least because Barron didn't and doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would make that sort of move. But correcting for it and Barron's reassurance on Amazon.com that these discrepancies aren't present in the later, more recent edition are why they shouldn't take away from the overall substance of the book.
Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master has several potential uses: can be helpful for spiritual directors. But also, if remaining attentive to the various "sinner's moves" that Aquinas identifies, whose implications Barron conveys in clear, thoughtful language, it can be a useful guide for Confession, too. Way too often, we name our sins like they're a laundry list based on the Decalogue, the Beatitudes, and the Precepts of the Church. But do we think about why we commit them, our motivations, and the kinds of moves and excuses we make? To ask those questions and probe ourselves for answers is to think about why the Decalogue, etc. exist at all.
...and Robert Barron.
One of the reasons why a good, initial guide to Aquinas is necessary is that it's easy to find him dry, or if not, to get lost in the weeds. There's also an ability to read him wrongly. As Feser so aptly points out in Aquinas, what can often be a stumbling block to reading him-- such that he is often wrongly dismissed-- is because the modern reader often doesn't know what Aquinas actually means by certain terms. The basics of medieval metaphysics are therefore lost on us, and so we need an initiation.
Another way in which we moderns are apt to read Aquinas wrongly, Barron writes, is that we tend to separate Aquinas's spirituality from his theology when that separation would have made no sense to Aquinas. His spirituality is his theology and vice versa, and it-- and Catholicism-- has metaphysical import. How we do or don't understand reality is related to how we do and don't understand what we-- and St. Thomas-- mean by "God."
What Barron excels at is why Aquinas matters not just for academic theologians and philosophers-- or geeks-- but also for the average believer. He gives us an Aquinas who is rigorous but far from "dry," and he gives us an idea of why we should want to engage and allow ourselves to be engaged by him. His Aquinas is a "master of the sacred page," steeped in the reading and interpretation of Scripture; Thomism, therefore, isn't just philosophy. Moreover, toss out Thomas, and you toss out a powerful evangelical guide: Aquinas, as Barron recently related to Matt Fradd on the podcast Pints with Aquinas, isn't for everybody. But don't underestimate his ability to appeal to people. Aquinas appealed to the young Barron at fourteen, along with countless others-- because some people just are more reachable that way.
Also important in Barron's treatment of Aquinas is reading the Summa Theologiae with an eye toward practical spirituality. Other than to say that God is "the sheer act of To Be, itself," Aquinas's theology is more about who and what God is not. The reason is because he knows that we sinners commonly try to make God into something that he is not, all the more so that we might bracket him or avoid him, if not reject him outright, which are really a rejection of obedience that comes with the Fall. Thomas respects Reason as a gift from God-- which also means that he's a realist. He is well aware of the reality that all gifts can be misused or abused, because the human mind is fallen. So with God, we tend to grasp or hide. To reject who and what God is not (and this is a good link-up to a book like Ulrich Lehner's God is Not Nice) is crucial if we say we want a relationship with God. Because it means letting God be himself, as we ought to do and try to do with anyone we say we love. Idolatry would mean the opposite. Barron's approach to the Summa is to outline the common moves a sinner makes regarding God, which is really very helpful.
In short, this short book is worth reading, worth contemplating. Just get the recent edition, though. The earlier edition-- as Barron points out-- referred to God as "he," only to refer to him a couple of paragraphs afterward as "she." That got a bit weird, not least because Barron didn't and doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would make that sort of move. But correcting for it and Barron's reassurance on Amazon.com that these discrepancies aren't present in the later, more recent edition are why they shouldn't take away from the overall substance of the book.
Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master has several potential uses: can be helpful for spiritual directors. But also, if remaining attentive to the various "sinner's moves" that Aquinas identifies, whose implications Barron conveys in clear, thoughtful language, it can be a useful guide for Confession, too. Way too often, we name our sins like they're a laundry list based on the Decalogue, the Beatitudes, and the Precepts of the Church. But do we think about why we commit them, our motivations, and the kinds of moves and excuses we make? To ask those questions and probe ourselves for answers is to think about why the Decalogue, etc. exist at all.
December 2, 2019
St. Thomas Aquinas' impact on the Christian Church can be felt even today, across all denominations and branches. His view of nature, humanity, sin and salvation have become standard to many believers, even when they are unaware of it's origin.
Bishop Barron's Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master provides a concise and readable introduction to Thomas' life and themes. Of course, a comprehensive examination of Aquinas' work would be more involved and probably just as long as the Summa Theologica itself! But Barron is to be commended for providing the world with a short introduction to Thomas.
Although Barron's writing is clear, the reader can at times see the depth of his understanding of Thomas' work. It is much like seeing the tip of the iceberg and knowing that the bulk of Barron's knowledge is hiding below the surface so as to not confuse the reader.
Some drawbacks to this work are the lack of an index and lack of demonstrating the practicality of Thomas' thought. There are times when I felt that Barron was defending Thomas work instead of explaining it...or trying to update the Angelic Doctor when he could have let Thomas speak for himself. Matt Fradd on his podcast Pints with Aquinas does this much better and in a more interesting way.
Overall, this book is great for someone who wants to know about Aquinas' thought without having to delve into the Summa itself.
Grade: B+
Bishop Barron's Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master provides a concise and readable introduction to Thomas' life and themes. Of course, a comprehensive examination of Aquinas' work would be more involved and probably just as long as the Summa Theologica itself! But Barron is to be commended for providing the world with a short introduction to Thomas.
Although Barron's writing is clear, the reader can at times see the depth of his understanding of Thomas' work. It is much like seeing the tip of the iceberg and knowing that the bulk of Barron's knowledge is hiding below the surface so as to not confuse the reader.
Some drawbacks to this work are the lack of an index and lack of demonstrating the practicality of Thomas' thought. There are times when I felt that Barron was defending Thomas work instead of explaining it...or trying to update the Angelic Doctor when he could have let Thomas speak for himself. Matt Fradd on his podcast Pints with Aquinas does this much better and in a more interesting way.
Overall, this book is great for someone who wants to know about Aquinas' thought without having to delve into the Summa itself.
Grade: B+
November 20, 2014
Excellent book. Barron takes the "cold and intellectual" philosophy and writings of Thomas Aquinas and shows the heart and soul of Aquinas' philosophy and religious beliefs. Barron also is able, through his insightful analysis and superb writing skills, to bring Aquinas relevant to today's society, yet does this with humor and compassion so one does not feel like one is being lectured.
August 26, 2022
Anyone reading Thomas Aquinas's writings can be forgiven if they find the writings very dry and impenetrable. The academic style of the 1200s has not been in fashion for a long time. Many of the texts are distillations of public academic disputes that were probably more interesting as live discussions than as transcripts. Casual readers are tempted to see his works as "pure theology," a lot of information without any spiritual inspiration or guidance for the typical Christian. Bishop Robert Barron argue that Thomas is a spiritual writer and his works are centered on the key mystery of salvation history--the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity as the man Jesus Christ.
Jesus is Someone we know almost entirely through Sacred Scriptures. Thomas starts the Summa Theologiae (his most famous work) with a discussion of revelation and human reason. While human reason can discover truths about God, revelation is given as a more sure and easier way to come to know and love the Supreme Being. Barron points out the discussion of God's existence is not called "proofs" by Thomas, but "ways." These are various ways that we come to know God, which is really the point of having the knowledge. It's not that we get there on our own, but that we get there. With God is where we belong. It's what God wants. He wants it so much that He became a man in order to lead us to a more full union with God, not just intellectually but personally.
And yet, God is beyond our comprehension. Thomas next discusses various attributes of God, which are ultimately negations of limitations or human understandings. God is present to all of the world as its creator. God does not stay in one spot, making it easy for us to avoid him. As its creator, He is present not only in all of three-dimensional space, He is also present at every moment in time, i.e. He is eternal. These ideas lead to the notion that God is truly transcendent. He's not someone to be bargained with (e.g., I'll give you 10 percent of my grain if You guarantee next year's harvest). He's not a co-equal principle with whatever causes evil. He makes everything, everywhere, at all times, without input from others. We can't put God in a box and make Him do what we want. This understanding helps us to avoid lots of errors.
Barron concludes with Thomas's look at human happiness. The human mind has the ability to know anything; the human will can desire anything that it sees as good. Only an infinite good can satisfy these human powers. Wealth is only desirable to get other thing. Fame and power easily slip away from those who seek them. We always want more because we can always imagine more or see the limitations of the finite things we have. The only truly satisfaction is by knowing and loving God.
Barron looks at Thomas's writings as an attempt to draw the reader closer to God, by logic or persuasion. Thomas knows that such union is our ultimate purpose in life. While not autobiographical like Therese of Lisieux or poetic like John of the Cross, Thomas is a spiritual master who can lead his readers closer to their heavenly home. A reader needs to take a bit more care to see the deeper purpose of Thomas.
Recommended.
Jesus is Someone we know almost entirely through Sacred Scriptures. Thomas starts the Summa Theologiae (his most famous work) with a discussion of revelation and human reason. While human reason can discover truths about God, revelation is given as a more sure and easier way to come to know and love the Supreme Being. Barron points out the discussion of God's existence is not called "proofs" by Thomas, but "ways." These are various ways that we come to know God, which is really the point of having the knowledge. It's not that we get there on our own, but that we get there. With God is where we belong. It's what God wants. He wants it so much that He became a man in order to lead us to a more full union with God, not just intellectually but personally.
And yet, God is beyond our comprehension. Thomas next discusses various attributes of God, which are ultimately negations of limitations or human understandings. God is present to all of the world as its creator. God does not stay in one spot, making it easy for us to avoid him. As its creator, He is present not only in all of three-dimensional space, He is also present at every moment in time, i.e. He is eternal. These ideas lead to the notion that God is truly transcendent. He's not someone to be bargained with (e.g., I'll give you 10 percent of my grain if You guarantee next year's harvest). He's not a co-equal principle with whatever causes evil. He makes everything, everywhere, at all times, without input from others. We can't put God in a box and make Him do what we want. This understanding helps us to avoid lots of errors.
Barron concludes with Thomas's look at human happiness. The human mind has the ability to know anything; the human will can desire anything that it sees as good. Only an infinite good can satisfy these human powers. Wealth is only desirable to get other thing. Fame and power easily slip away from those who seek them. We always want more because we can always imagine more or see the limitations of the finite things we have. The only truly satisfaction is by knowing and loving God.
Barron looks at Thomas's writings as an attempt to draw the reader closer to God, by logic or persuasion. Thomas knows that such union is our ultimate purpose in life. While not autobiographical like Therese of Lisieux or poetic like John of the Cross, Thomas is a spiritual master who can lead his readers closer to their heavenly home. A reader needs to take a bit more care to see the deeper purpose of Thomas.
Recommended.
June 29, 2024
I gave this introduction to The Angelic Doctor 5 stars not only because it was written by Bp. Robert Barron, but also because Barron effectively changes your impression of Aquinas from “dusty old philosophical egghead” to “spiritual master” in the truest sense of the words.
Barron gives a good summary of Thomas’ life and then spends the rest of the book analyzing short passages from the Summa, showing how even the most seemingly arcane philosophical arguments are actually intended to be spiritual challenges to the reader. The examples he gives are simply profound: it will change the way I think about my own prayer life.
Instead of Thomas trying to reduce God down to a scientific argument as Martin Luther and many today accuse Thomas of doing, Barron says:
“Thomas is decidedly not trying to capture or define the divine; on the contrary, he is attempting to show us precisely how to avoid the temptation of such definition. He is demonstrating how the soul can be liberated in the act of surrendering to the God who reveals himself as an unsurpassable and ecstatic power in Jesus Christ.”
Barron gives a good summary of Thomas’ life and then spends the rest of the book analyzing short passages from the Summa, showing how even the most seemingly arcane philosophical arguments are actually intended to be spiritual challenges to the reader. The examples he gives are simply profound: it will change the way I think about my own prayer life.
Instead of Thomas trying to reduce God down to a scientific argument as Martin Luther and many today accuse Thomas of doing, Barron says:
“Thomas is decidedly not trying to capture or define the divine; on the contrary, he is attempting to show us precisely how to avoid the temptation of such definition. He is demonstrating how the soul can be liberated in the act of surrendering to the God who reveals himself as an unsurpassable and ecstatic power in Jesus Christ.”
April 15, 2019
Yet another excellent book by Bishop Barron about our mutual favorite spiritual master, Thomas Aquinas. For those that consider the writings of Aquinas dry and devoid of important spiritual guidance should read this great book. In his typical brilliant and insightful narrative, Barron provides an accessible and important survey of the thoughts and writings of Aquinas. A great book for anyone interested in Aquinas, whether new or familiar with his work. What is clear is that Aquinas is driving his readers toward the self-forgetting love of Christ.
September 18, 2012
Father Robert Barron is an exceptional Priest and evangelist of the Gospel. His Word On Fire websites has many sermons and articles by him that are very good; and I go this site often. Having said that I was a little disappointed in this book. It has its moments if you don't already know a good bit about Aquinas before you read it you will be lost.
April 12, 2013
I really can't speak well enough about this book. Fr. Barron not only does an expert job at elucidating Aquinas, no mean feat, but powerfully translates the spiritual gravitas of Aquinas's Christian theology, revving one up towards a deeper, more intimate understanding of the faith. This book excels on all levels. Highly, highly recommended.
January 22, 2014
I admit that this book was a little out of my comfort zone. It was challenging to comprehend at first, however it ended strong for me and left me actually wanting to explore Aquinas more deeply. Those looking for a deep theological analysis of the extensive writings of Thomas Aquinas will probably be disappointed. For me it it was the perfect introduction to the theology of Thomas Aquinas.
July 10, 2023
Absolutely spectacular! Robert Barron is a fantastic writer. How talented do you have to be to take the writing of St. Thomas Aquinas, who is so intimidating I still haven't attempted to read his writing, and make it accessible. Robert Barron is the best. I feel like this is a Yelp review--like I know the guy or I've met him. Perhaps that is part and parcel of his talent as a writer that it feels like you've met him by reading him. Some people who read this book or are considering reading it are familiar with Father Barron through his work online--his YouTube channel, the Word on Fire website, the Catholicism documentary, his podcast, etc. If you are familiar with him through those outlets, you know he has an avuncular, pleasing delivery, not just his tone of voice, but the way he constructs arguments; the way he introduces metaphors and analogies; and the way he reasons through his arguments confidently and coherently. It makes for an extremely edifying and enjoyable intellectual experience.
All of that is here in this book: the pace, the care, the patience, and the respect he shows for readers, 99% of whom won't be as well versed as he in Aquinas or any other aspect of Catholic thought. Father Barron often talks about not wanting to dumb down the Church Fathers or dumb down the Gospels and find a place where the heart of Catholicism is accessible to the "average" person who doesn't have a master's or doctorate in Theology. What that requires is a very deft touch and intellect that can maneuvers through material systematically and carefully, teasing out the most important themes and ideas. Robert Barron has these skills in spades.
What about the content of this book? What about whether his particular interpretations of St. Thomas are sound, in error in some places, or overly simplistic? I have no idea. I've just begun my quest to learn more about Catholicism and Christianity more generally. Only in the last year have I turned my attention to the study of the Gospels, the Church Fathers, and the evolution of Catholic thought over the last 500 years. I'm in no position to comment on the degree to whether this book is "good" or "bad" or even a helpful or necessary intervention in the thinking of Aquinas. I trust Barron. And that's another aspect of having written very well and of having conveyed your ideas very clearly--your reader respects you; feels he or she is in good hands; trusts you are not biting off more than you can chew and have digested well what you have bitten off. I trust Father Barron's interpretation of Scripture; I trust his comments about the theology of St. Thomas. Perhaps down the road I'll feel differently regarding this or that aspect of Barron's interpretation, but for now this was an excellent book to get started with in studying St. Thomas.
All of that is here in this book: the pace, the care, the patience, and the respect he shows for readers, 99% of whom won't be as well versed as he in Aquinas or any other aspect of Catholic thought. Father Barron often talks about not wanting to dumb down the Church Fathers or dumb down the Gospels and find a place where the heart of Catholicism is accessible to the "average" person who doesn't have a master's or doctorate in Theology. What that requires is a very deft touch and intellect that can maneuvers through material systematically and carefully, teasing out the most important themes and ideas. Robert Barron has these skills in spades.
What about the content of this book? What about whether his particular interpretations of St. Thomas are sound, in error in some places, or overly simplistic? I have no idea. I've just begun my quest to learn more about Catholicism and Christianity more generally. Only in the last year have I turned my attention to the study of the Gospels, the Church Fathers, and the evolution of Catholic thought over the last 500 years. I'm in no position to comment on the degree to whether this book is "good" or "bad" or even a helpful or necessary intervention in the thinking of Aquinas. I trust Barron. And that's another aspect of having written very well and of having conveyed your ideas very clearly--your reader respects you; feels he or she is in good hands; trusts you are not biting off more than you can chew and have digested well what you have bitten off. I trust Father Barron's interpretation of Scripture; I trust his comments about the theology of St. Thomas. Perhaps down the road I'll feel differently regarding this or that aspect of Barron's interpretation, but for now this was an excellent book to get started with in studying St. Thomas.
August 1, 2019
This review is based on the 1996 original edition; the 2008 edition (not seen) from the same publisher, based on its description, seems to be little changed, if at all. This book is part of the Crossroad Spiritual Legacy Series, which includes titles from Anselm to Karl Rahner. (One would like to be present at a colloquium of Anselm, Dante, Hildegard, John of the Cross, Rahner, and others in this series!) Robert Barron, the author, today is an up-and-coming bishop; when he wrote this book he was still a lowly assistant seminary professor.
This is a popular, reasonably accessible intro to Aquinas, although even a neophyte with some background will have to follow closely and ponder a paragraph now and then to keep up with Barron and his terminology. A major annoyance of mine, the lack of an index, rears its ugly head. The suggested readings are few and some may challenge the capacity of some readers.
While it has its limitations, this book may be about as good as one can do in first encountering Aquinas.
This is a popular, reasonably accessible intro to Aquinas, although even a neophyte with some background will have to follow closely and ponder a paragraph now and then to keep up with Barron and his terminology. A major annoyance of mine, the lack of an index, rears its ugly head. The suggested readings are few and some may challenge the capacity of some readers.
While it has its limitations, this book may be about as good as one can do in first encountering Aquinas.
April 5, 2020
Bishop Barron paints a picture of St. Thomas Aquinas that is so close to as if St. Thomas were just looking into a mirror. I mean this book describes Aquinas with clarity, conviction of his sainthood, and with an appreciation of the reader growing in devotion to this great saint.
My favorite part of this book was that in reading about St. Thomas Five Ways, and his metaphysical viewpoints and stances, and the history of St. Thomas' life- at the end of the book I came to one conclusion; that St. Thomas Aquinas is a saint his mission in life was to get to heaven and help other people to get to heaven too- thus he was a spiritual master.
I read this book in the summer of 2019 before I had metaphysics in the fall semester and medieval philosophy in the spring of 2020. In my mind in class I kept going back to the the picture that Bishop Barron painted because from this book I was and still am convinced that St. Thomas Aquinas is a spiritual master worth coming to know and grow in devotion to.
My favorite part of this book was that in reading about St. Thomas Five Ways, and his metaphysical viewpoints and stances, and the history of St. Thomas' life- at the end of the book I came to one conclusion; that St. Thomas Aquinas is a saint his mission in life was to get to heaven and help other people to get to heaven too- thus he was a spiritual master.
I read this book in the summer of 2019 before I had metaphysics in the fall semester and medieval philosophy in the spring of 2020. In my mind in class I kept going back to the the picture that Bishop Barron painted because from this book I was and still am convinced that St. Thomas Aquinas is a spiritual master worth coming to know and grow in devotion to.
November 29, 2023
For many of us who have read and studied his works, Thomas has always been the great master of doctrinal theology, the great exemplar of medieval scholasticism who explicates, like no other, the nature of God with the tools of Aristotelian logic. Bishop Barron's slim and wonderfully illuminating book has shown me how much I have missed about this great saint and the stuff of his teaching. For Bishop Barron, the foundation of all the theology professed by Thomas arises from the ineffable, unfathomable act of God's love in joining His creation in time, space and matter through the person of Jesus Christ. The inexplicable surprise of the Incarnation informs all of Thomas's ageless insight about God and his creation. For the particulars, I'll leave you to read Bishop Barron.
September 28, 2020
Because of St. Thomas Aquinas's central role in the history of the Catholic Church, I started reading a very thick paperback edition of some of his most important writings, but I soon got bogged down. So before going any further, I decided that I could use a guide to help me through the thicket and turned to this book by Bishop Robert Barron, who trained as a philosopher and is both a great communicator and a great devotee of Thomas Aquinas. As expected, Barron does an excellent job of identifying and illuminating Aquinas's major points, and manages to bring the great saint to life in the process. So now, no more excuses: bring on the Summa Theologica!
December 26, 2023
I think this is a great book for anyone interested in understanding (at a beginner level) why St Thomas Aquinas is a doctor of the Church.
I previously read St Thomas’ short Suma and maybe understood 50% so this book was a great followup to attempting to read St Thomas’ actual writings. This book drives home some major concepts and helped me appreciate this wonderful theologian.
Anything from Bishop Barton is a good read as far as presentation of content and writing style. He can speak and write at all levels …
I previously read St Thomas’ short Suma and maybe understood 50% so this book was a great followup to attempting to read St Thomas’ actual writings. This book drives home some major concepts and helped me appreciate this wonderful theologian.
Anything from Bishop Barton is a good read as far as presentation of content and writing style. He can speak and write at all levels …
July 23, 2018
It seems that reading about St. Thomas Aquinas isn't much easier than reading Thomas Aquinas. Bishop Baron takes parts of the Summa Theologica and helps us to understand what the great St. Thomas was talking about.
It's a hard task, and he does a beautiful job.
Take your time and read carefully and you will have an easier time getting through the actual document which is a rough go, but totally worth it.
It's a hard task, and he does a beautiful job.
Take your time and read carefully and you will have an easier time getting through the actual document which is a rough go, but totally worth it.
October 17, 2022
In this book, Bishop Barron discusses Aquinas's mode of theology, his most potent spiritual critiques, and, of course, his exegesis of various subjects. Including but not limited to the incarnation, God's existence, divine simplicity, theodicy, happiness, and beauty.
This is a fine introductory book to Aquinas's thought, much easier to read than the actual summa (format). Another thing to add is that it has a more Christology (and spiritual) flavor.
This is a fine introductory book to Aquinas's thought, much easier to read than the actual summa (format). Another thing to add is that it has a more Christology (and spiritual) flavor.
January 2, 2026
This book was great. Barron did a great job breaking down some of Aquinas’ writings in a more digestible way that maybe we as potentially inexperienced readers would not be capable of. I do think having read the Summa Theologiae would have helped me better understand some of Barron’s interpretations, but regardless I understand a majority of them without prior exposure. This book is great if you love to just sit around and think, a favorite past time of mine.
February 22, 2018
“For Thomas Aquinas, God’s most characteristic act is the jest of the Incarnation, and our appropriate response is sustained and soul-expanding laughter. Everything else is commentary”
Oh my soul! How beautiful.
My first book reading about Aquinas, and BRB has left me wanting more...
beauty. Lead with beauty.
Oh my soul! How beautiful.
My first book reading about Aquinas, and BRB has left me wanting more...
beauty. Lead with beauty.
August 6, 2023
in this short book on Thomas Aquinas, Bishop Barron describes Aquinas‘s thought on Christ, God, creation, and the human being.
From the end of the book:
“For Thomas Aquinas, God’s most character characteristic act is the jest of the Incarnation, and our appropriate response is sustained and soul-expanding laughter. Everything else is commentary.”
From the end of the book:
“For Thomas Aquinas, God’s most character characteristic act is the jest of the Incarnation, and our appropriate response is sustained and soul-expanding laughter. Everything else is commentary.”
November 19, 2024
Insightful Analysis of Thomasim
Wonder book. Explores a side of St. Thomas Aquinas that is often overlooked. We know that Thomas was an incredible scholar, theologian, philosopher. But what is overlooked is his spirituality. That at his core Thomas is a man of prayer. All of his writings need to be looked at through this lens.
Wonder book. Explores a side of St. Thomas Aquinas that is often overlooked. We know that Thomas was an incredible scholar, theologian, philosopher. But what is overlooked is his spirituality. That at his core Thomas is a man of prayer. All of his writings need to be looked at through this lens.
June 2, 2025
Bishop Barron always writes beautifully, and makes even Saint Thomas Aquinas understandable for everyone. Not only that, but in an extremely elegant way he explains how this smart man guides us through our spiritual path, as he is deeply in love with Jesus Christ.
Highly recommended to everyone - believer or not - for insight on anthropology, theology, and life itself.
Highly recommended to everyone - believer or not - for insight on anthropology, theology, and life itself.
October 27, 2022
Bishop Barron has done a magnificent job of exploring Aquinas' philosophical, theological, and prayerful identity. By cracking open the Summa in easily digestible parts we see " faith seeking understanding" exemplified. This is a great primer for anyone looking to ready any of Aquinas' works.
August 16, 2020
Difficult reading this book about Thomas Aquinas, because of the complexity of the material. I learned a lot but could only read this in small amounts.
July 6, 2021
This is a gem of a book. If you don't think St Thomas Aquinas has much to say for the everyday, ordinary, spiritual life, this book will be a happy correction. Highly recommend.
January 17, 2023
100/100 stars oh my gosh amazing stellar all the good words i loved this book. barron transforms aquinas’ dense, heady writing into a beautiful, joyous picture of humanity and God’s relation to it.
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