Summa Theologica
Medieval theological treatise
Summa Theologica is the masterwork of Thomas Aquinas, a thirteenth-century treatise on Catholic theology.
The Latin title means "Summary of Theology." Aquinas organized Christian doctrine systematically, addressing questions about God, creation, morality, and salvation through a method of objections and replies.
Though unfinished at his death, it remains foundational to Catholic thought and Western philosophy: The Summa Theologica shaped centuries of theological debate.
Scholastic philosopher-theologian
- DominicanPreaching order member
- ProvidenceGod's protective care personified
- GraceName or honorific
- PredestinationGod's eternal decree beforehand
Original text before publication
- LatinAncient Roman language
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
- encyclopediaComprehensive subject-matter collection
- compendiumCondensed reference collection
systematic · questions · articles · objections · replies · structure · volumes · parts
Philosophy of existence's nature
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
- epistemologyTheory of knowledge
- ontologyStudy of existence's nature
- teleologyStudy of purpose in nature
causation · substance · essence · existence · potency · act · form · matter
Supreme spiritual authority
- TrinityGodhead as three persons
- ChristologyDoctrine of the Messiah's nature
- eschatologyStudy of ultimate destiny
- ecclesiologyStudy of church theology
sacrament · transubstantiation · Eucharist · baptism · grace · salvation · sin · redemption
Greek founder of formal logic
- disputationFormal argumentative exchange
- objectionExpression of disapproval
- articleWritten piece or grammatical word
- questionRequest for information
syllogism · dialectic · commentary · medieval · university · master · realism · nominalism
Thomas Aquinas
Scholastic philosopher-theologian
- DominicanPreaching order member
- ProvidenceGod's protective care personified
- GraceName or honorific
manuscript
Original text before publication
- LatinAncient Roman language
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
- encyclopediaComprehensive subject-matter collection
compendium · systematic · questions · articles · objections · replies · structure · volumes · parts · sections
metaphysics
Philosophy of existence's nature
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
- epistemologyTheory of knowledge
- ontologyStudy of existence's nature
teleology · causation · substance · essence · existence · potency · act · form · matter · universals
God
Supreme spiritual authority
- TrinityGodhead as three persons
- ChristologyDoctrine of the Messiah's nature
- eschatologyStudy of ultimate destiny
ecclesiology · sacrament · transubstantiation · Eucharist · baptism · grace · salvation · sin · redemption · resurrection
Aristotle
Greek founder of formal logic
- disputationFormal argumentative exchange
- objectionExpression of disapproval
- articleWritten piece or grammatical word
question · syllogism · dialectic · commentary · medieval · university · master · realism · nominalism · trivium
- philosophyethics, logic, metaphysics, ontology, epistemology
- Great BooksMeditations, Leviathan, The Prince, Utopia, Walden
- religious textsBible, scriptures, Bible translations, Gospels, Koran
- Spiritual ClassicsConfessions, Pilgrim's Progress, Divine Comedy, Book of Common Prayer, Bhagavad Gita
- Catholic ThoughtThomas Aquinas, scholasticism, natural law, Augustine, faith and reason
- Aquinas Works
Summa TheologicaThe God Delusion
Argument against theistic belief
The Communist Manifesto · Das Kapital · Epicureanism · Leviathan
Summa Theologicasecular humanism
Nonreligious ethical philosophy
Tao Te Ching · Quran · Talmud · Bhagavad Gita