Compendium of Theology By Thomas AquinasTowards the end of his life, St. Thomas Aquinas produced a brief, non-technical work summarizing some of the main points of his massive Summa Theologiae. This 'compendium' was intended as an introductory handbook for students and scholars who might not have access to the larger work. It remains the best concise introduction to Aquinas's thought. Furthermore, it is extremely interesting to scholars because it represents Aquinas's last word on these topics. Aquinas does not break new ground or re-think earlier positions but often states them more directly and with greater precision than can be found elsewhere. There is only one available English translation of the Compendium (published as 'Aquinas's Shorter Summa: Saint Thomas's Own Concise Version of his Summa Theologiae,' by Sophia Institute Press). It is published by a very small Catholic publishing house, is marketed to the devotional readership, contains no scholarly apparatus. Richard Regan is a highly respected Aquinas translator, who here relies on the definitive Leonine edition of the Latin text. His work will be received as the premier English version of this important text. |
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according action active active thing acts actuality aforementioned angels animal appropriate assumed belongs bodily body brings cause Christ clear comes completely condition consider consists constituted contrary created creatures death defect desire divine effects essence eternal evil example existing existing subject faith Father final end flesh follows genus glory God’s grace happen happiness heaven heavenly bodies higher Holy Spirit hope human nature inasmuch individual infinite insofar intellect intelligible judge judgment kind knowledge lack living Lord lower material substance matter means motion moved movement namely necessarily necessary object obtain original particular pass Paul perfect person posit potentiality predicate procession produced proper properties providence punishment rational reason receive regarding remains resurrection rise says Second seems sense shown sins soul species suffer things Third true truth understand understood universal virtue whole wisdom