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Probably the most important book in Christian theology and ethics during the past millennium is the Summa theologiae of St. Thomas Aquinas, a comprehensive statement of Christian teaching written between 1266 and 1273.
The Summa is important because it set the terms for academic discussion of the main topics in systematic theology from the beginnings of university life in the Middle Ages through the theological controversies of the Reformation, and it provides the framework for Roman Catholic theological studies to the present day.
But Thomas Aquinas did more than organize the whole of Christian learning. He also demonstrated that theology could accommodate new methods of study and new forms of knowledge. By incorporating the rediscovered texts of Greek philosophy, and especially the work of Aristotle, into his Christian theology, Aquinas set a pattern that encourages theologians in every generation to restate and rethink the truths of faith in ways that communicate to the discoveries of their own times. Even those forms of twentieth century theology that differ from many of Aquinas' specific teachings share his conviction that the theologian must be an interpreter of faith in new terms for new conditions.
Such work will often be controversial. Some of Aquinas' own ideas were condemned by church officials shortly after his death, and not every synthesis of Christian faith and contemporary thought will prove as durable as his main achievements in the Summa theologiae. Nevertheless, this book, more than any other during the millennium, points the way to link faith and learning in an academic community where both can be respected.
Robin Lovin
Dean, Perkins School of Theology
