Saint Thomas Aquinas, Volume 2: Spiritual Master

by Jean-Pierre Torrell, Robert Royal (Translator)

Following his highly acclaimed study of the life and works of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Jean-Pierre Torrell, O.P., continues his masterful work on the great Dominican theologian and brings an immense learning to bear on a subject that most readers have not considered very Thomas's spirituality. Aquinas's intellectual power is evident to anyone who has had even modest exposure to his work. Understanding the spiritual impetus behind that massive achievement, however, requires careful attention to the whole Thomistic corpus and a subtle understanding of several crucial works, particularly Thomas's sermons and commentaries on Scripture. In this long-awaited sequel to Saint Thomas The Person and His Work , Father Torrell brilliantly lays out the theoretical background to Thomas's spirituality. He shows that Aquinas's theology is clearly oriented towards contemplation and is as deeply spiritual as it is doctrinal.

Meticulous in his research, Torrell quotes often from Thomas's own texts and presents a clear understanding of Aquinas's views on nature, the person, human society, politics, and our ultimate end in communion with God and one another. This volume makes apparent why the Catholic Church thinks of Aquinas not only as a great Christian intellectual, but also as a saint.

Praise for Volume 1, The Person and His Work :

"This is the introduction to Thomas. . . ."― First Things

"The most up-to-date biography available."― Choice

"[A] magnificent achievement. . . . An indispensable tool for every student of Thomas Aquinas."― The Thomist

"Torrell's book is the crown of recent research into Aquinas."― Theological Studies

Genres: Theology, Religion, Catholic, Philosophy, Christianity, Biography

422 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 2003

Reviews

[Qui Ton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. This is a great exposition of the spiritual aspects of Saint Thomas's thought that are often overlooked, by which misunderstandings arise that he is too "intellectual" with an emphasis of "mind" over "heart" (the quotes there indicate my doubts about how those two parts of the soul are too frequently separated and may not be numerically two). The commentary unfolds the many rich layers of Saint Thomas's Trinitarian theology and spirituality and makes clear the bridge between God's inner life and man's supernatural call, which is Christ and His Church. Man is made in the image of the Image, the Ontological Exemplar, and is meant to "conform" himself to and "imitate" the Son who is also the Moral Exemplar, through the charity in us which is a participation in the Holy Spirit, for the contemplation of the Eternal Father.

[Alonso Perez-Lona · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book. Fr. Torrell's admiration for Saint Thomas is evident through his lucid exposition of the Angelic Doctor's teachings. If one takes away anything from the book is that everything people often claim is lacking in Aquinas is, in fact, right there in his texts; one only needs to realize it is the Saint himself talking through the prose, sometimes veiling his immense spirituality behind sober formulations. That being said, one also needs to look beyond the Summa, which is why the extensive quotes and bibliography are much appreciated, to say the least.

On a less serious note, I did not expect to finish the book this soon, but it is such a nice read.

[Lyndon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took my sweet time in reading Torrell. This is an instructive work that focuses on Thomas the theologian and doctor of the church. It is also a helpful guide to how Thomas is being read and studied on the Continent. It was curious to me that very little of the analytic 'school' (Geach, Anscombe, McCabe etc.) appears in Torrell's pages. Perhaps this should not be surprising given the wealth of commentary from Torrell's peers in France and elsewhere.

Still, this is a worthy introduction to Aquinas and instructive for those entering the Thomistic waters.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Torrell has an infallible plan: rehash the same old texts many others have rehashed and cheat the taxpayers of their money for the Academia, and cheat his silly god who won't be smart enough and say "this is missionary" and give him a place in Heavens.

[Stephen Gregg · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a powerful sense for how the mysteries of the faith can charge one's spiritual life, well, God bless you! and here it is.