Brian Davies' "The Thought of Thomas Aquinas" offers a comprehensive overview of Aquinas's complex philosophical and theological system. Here's a summary of its key aspects:

Core Focus:

• Davies aims to present Aquinas's thought in a clear and accessible manner, making it understandable to a modern audience.
• He emphasizes the systematic nature of Aquinas's work, showing how his various doctrines are interconnected.

Key Themes and Concepts:

• God's Existence and Nature:
  • Davies explores Aquinas's famous "five ways" of proving God's existence, as well as his understanding of God's attributes, such as simplicity, perfection, and eternity.
• Creation and Causality:
  • He examines Aquinas's doctrine of creation, emphasizing God's role as the primary cause of all things.
  • He also explains Aquinas's understanding of different types of causality.
• Human Nature and Ethics:
  • Davies discusses Aquinas's views on human beings as rational animals, created in God's image.
  • He explains Aquinas's natural law theory, which grounds morality in human nature and reason.
  • He also explains aquinas's views on the virtues.
• Law and Governance:
  • Davies explores Aquinas's understanding of different kinds of law, including eternal law, natural law, divine law, and human law.
• Christology and Sacraments:
  • He examines Aquinas's understanding of the incarnation, the person of Christ, and the sacraments as means of grace.
• The Problem of Evil:
  • Davies examines Aquinas's views on the problem of evil, and how that problem relates to Gods existance.
• Epistemology:
  • Davies also examines how Aquinas viewed how people gain knowledge.

Davies's Approach:

• He provides careful explanations of Aquinas's terminology and arguments.
• He places Aquinas's thought within its historical and philosophical context.
• He addresses common criticisms and misunderstandings of Aquinas's work.

In essence, "The Thought of Thomas Aquinas" serves as a valuable guide to the complex and influential thought of one of the most important figures in Western philosophy and theology. It is designed to allow a modern reader to understand the context, and the reasoning behind Aquinas's views.

Format: Trade Paper Book

Pages: 391

Auther: Brian Davies

Clarendon Paperbacks