Thomas Aquinas: A Bridge Between Faith and Reason

Thomas Aquinas, a medieval Saint, continues to matter in modern times due to his contributions to reconciling religion with science and faith with reason. As a philosopher and a saint, he refused to lose his faith or mindlessly believe, instead developing a new understanding of the place of reason in human life.

Aquinus’ monumental contribution was to teach Western European civilization that any human being, not just Christians, could have access to great truths by using God’s greatest gift to human beings: reason.
He universalized intelligence, opening the Christian mind to insights from all of humanity, across the ages and continents.
The modern world, which insists that good ideas can come from any quarter regardless of creed or background, remains hugely in Aquinas’ debt.

Aquinus was born into a noble family in Italy in 1225 and went on to study at the University of Naples, where he came into contact with the texts of ancient Greek and Roman authors. He became an academic at the University of Paris and a prolific writer, producing nearly 200 pieces about Christian theology in less than three decades.

His starting point was that some of the world’s greatest thinkers have not been Christian, but this didn’t bar them from having huge insights because the world can be usefully explored through reason and not just through faith. Aquinus proposed that the universe operates according to two kinds of law: secular natural law and religious Eternal law.

Natural laws can be discovered through reason and do not rely on believing in God.
Eternal law, on the other hand, is related to God’s will and is accessible through faith and revelation.

Aquinus’ ideas unfolded at a time when Islamic culture was going through similar dilemmas as Christianity in terms of reconciling reason and faith. His philosophical framework for open scientific inquiry reminds us that knowledge can and should come from multiple sources, including intuition, rationality, science, revelation, pagans, and monks.

Key Vocabulary

Term	Definition	Example Usage
Medieval	Relating to the Middle Ages, which was the period in European history from the 5th to the 15th century.	Thomas Aquinas lived during the medieval period and made significant contributions to philosophy and theology.
Reconciling	To make two or more things compatible or to resolve a conflict between them.	Thomas Aquinas worked on reconciling faith and reason, showing that they can coexist and complement each other.
Monumental	Extremely important or significant, having a lasting impact.	Aquinus’ contribution to teaching Western European civilization about the power of reason was monumental.
Universalized	To make something applicable or available to everyone, regardless of their background or location.	Thomas Aquinas universalized intelligence by showing that insights can come from all of humanity, across different ages and continents.
Prolific	Producing a large amount of work, especially written work, in a short period of time.	Thomas Aquinas was a prolific writer, producing nearly 200 pieces about Christian theology in less than three decades.
Secular	Not related to or controlled by a religious institution; concerned with the world or things that are not religious.	Aquinus proposed that the universe operates according to secular natural law, which can be discovered through reason.
Eternal	Lasting or existing forever; having no beginning or end.	According to Aquinus, Eternal law is related to God’s will and is accessible through faith and revelation.
Revelation	The act of making something known or the fact of something being made known, especially a divine or supernatural truth.	Eternal law, according to Aquinus, is accessible through faith and revelation, providing insights into God’s will.
Intuition	The ability to acquire knowledge or insight without conscious reasoning or deliberate thought.	Aquinus’ philosophical framework includes intuition as one of the sources of knowledge, alongside rationality, science, and revelation.
Rationality	The quality of being based on reason or the use of reason to form opinions or make decisions.	Thomas Aquinas emphasized the importance of rationality in understanding the world and accessing great truths.
Creed	A statement of belief or a system of beliefs, especially in religion.	The modern world, influenced by Aquinus, believes that good ideas can come from any quarter, regardless of creed or background.
Pagans	People who do not believe in the main religions of the world, especially people who believe in many gods or nature spirits.	Aquinus’ framework for knowledge includes insights from pagans, recognizing the value of diverse perspectives.
Monks	Men who have dedicated their lives to a religious order, often living in a monastery and following a strict rule of conduct.	Aquinus’ philosophical framework values knowledge from multiple sources, including monks, who have dedicated their lives to spiritual pursuits.

PHILOSOPHY – Thomas Aquinas 🎓

Explore the advanced terminology extracted from the source material.

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PHILOSOPHY – Thomas Aquinas

Vocabulary Quiz

1. Which word means ‘to make something available or accessible to everyone’?

A) Universalize
B) Reconcile
C) Explore
D) Propose

2. What does ‘prolific’ mean in the context of Thomas Aquinas’ writing?

A) Writing very short pieces
B) Producing a large number of works
C) Focusing on a single topic
D) Only writing about Christian theology

3. What is meant by ‘reconciling religion with science and faith with reason’?

A) Combining all beliefs into one
B) Finding a way to make two seemingly opposing ideas work together
C) Ignoring one aspect to focus on the other
D) Proving one is right and the other wrong

4. What does ‘secular’ mean in the context of ‘secular natural law’?

A) Related to God’s will
B) Not related to religion or God
C) Only applicable to Christians
D) Discovered through faith and revelation

5. What is ‘Eternal law’ according to Thomas Aquinas?

A) Laws discovered through reason and science
B) Laws related to God’s will and accessible through faith and revelation
C) Laws that change over time
D) Laws that only apply to certain groups of people

Answer Key:

1. A
2. B
3. B
4. B
5. B

Grammar Focus

Grammar Focus: The Use of Subjunctive Mood in English

The subjunctive mood is used to express doubt, uncertainty, possibility, or potentiality about a situation. It is often used in clauses beginning with words like “if,” “wish,” or “suggest.” For example, in the context of Thomas Aquinas’ contributions, one might say, “It is necessary that he use his reason to reconcile faith and science,” where “use” is in the subjunctive mood. The subjunctive mood can also be used to express a hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situation, as in “If Thomas Aquinas were alive today, he would be surprised by the advancements in science.” The use of the subjunctive mood adds a layer of complexity and nuance to English expressions, allowing for the discussion of abstract or uncertain ideas.

Grammar Quiz:

Choose the correct form of the verb in parentheses to complete each sentence.

I suggest that Thomas Aquinas (take, takes, took, would take) a more nuanced approach to reconciling faith and reason.
If Thomas Aquinas (were, was, are, been) alive today, he would likely be involved in contemporary debates about science and faith.
It is necessary that the philosopher (use, uses, used, would use) reason to understand the world.
I wish that Thomas Aquinas (would write, writes, wrote, had written) more about the intersection of faith and science.
It is possible that future generations (will discover, discover, discovered, would discover) new insights into Thomas Aquinas’ philosophical framework.

Answer Key:

take
were
use
had written
will discover