Saint Thomas Aquinas

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Saint Thomas Aquinas
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The overview

• Born 1225 in the Kingdom of Sicily
• Born into nobility
• Began formal education at age 5
• Went to University in Naples
• Became a monk in the Dominican Order
• Greatest work Summa Theologica
• Died March 7, 1274

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INFLUENCED BY

• ARISTOTLE
• PAUL THE APOSTLE
• ST. AUGUSTINE
• PETER LOMBARD

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SUMMA THEOLOGICAL

• Covered the following areas in three parts
• Theology
• Ethics (also contains an important Treatise on
  Law)
• Christ
• One of the most influential documents in medieval
  philosophy
• Established Thomism

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THEOLOGY

• Aquinas viewed theology as a science
• Consist of scripture and Catholic tradition
• Faith and reason are primary tools for
  understanding theology
• Blended Greek philosophy with Christian doctrine
• Rational thinking and the study of nature led to
  an understanding of God

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NATURAL THEOLOGY

• A theology that holds that knowledge of God can
  be acquired by human reason without the aid of
  divine revelation
• Truth is there we have to find it

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The FIVE WAYS (Proofs)

• Five arguments for the existence of God
• Argument of the Unmoved Mover
• Argument of the First Cause
• Argument from Contingency
• Argument from Decree
• Teleological Argument

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The FIVE WAYS (CONTINUED)

• Unmoved Mover whatever is in motion is put in
  motion by another impossible to be both mover
  and moved. Necessary to arrive at first mover
  God
• First Cause there is no case known (neither is
  it, indeed, possible) in which a thing is found
  to be the efficient cause of itself for so it
  would be prior to itself, which is impossible.
  First efficient cause God
• Contingency that which does not exist only
  begins to exist by something already existing.
  First existence God

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(CONTINUED)

• Decree there must also be something which is
  to all beings the cause of their being, goodness,
  and every other perfection and this we call
  God.
• Teleological some intelligent being exists by
  whom all natural things are directed to their
  end and this being we call God.

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NATURE OF GOD

• 1. God is simple (without composition)
• 2. God is perfect (lacking nothing)
• 3. God is infinite (cannot be physically defined)
• 4. God is immutable (no change in essence)
• 5. God is one (without diversification)

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ETHICS

• Cardinal Virtues
• Prudence
• Temperance
• Justice
• Fortitude
• These virtues are natural and apply to everyone

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ETHICS (Continued)

• Theological Virtues
• Faith
• Hope
• Charity
• These virtues are supernatural and distinct

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LAW

• Four kinds of law
• Eternal (decree of God governs all creation)
• Natural (human adherence to eternal law)
• Human (from the government to society)
• Divine (enacted by God made known through
  revelation i.e. Moses Jesus)

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INFLUENCE IN THE CHURCH

• Canonized fifty years after his death
• Summa Theologica extremely important
• Elevated to the status of Teacher of the Church
  by the First Vatican Council (1868)
• Aquinas views serve as foundation for modern
  Catholic doctrine
• Declared patron for all Catholic educational
  establishments (1880)

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• A man has free choice to the extent that he is
  rational
• All that is true, by whomsoever it has been said
  has its origin in the Spirit.
• Beware of the person of one book.

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WORKS CITED

• http//plato.stanford.edu/entries/aquinas/PhiScrT
  he
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_AquinasModern
  _influence
• http//www.newadvent.org/cathen/14663b.htm
• http//wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?snatur
  al20theology
• http//www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/saint_
  thomas_aquinas.html

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Dr. CJG

• PLEASE TAKE IT EASY ON US WITH THE TEST!