Overview

An illuminating introduction to the elusive Thomas Aquinas—the man and the saint ""A marvellous introduction to the thought of the most daring and most important thinker of the Christian Middle Ages. . . . The best single-volume introduction to St. Thomas.”—Eamon Duffy, The Tablet ""Rich, provocative and sophisticated, a work of both passion and serious scholarship. It is a triumph.""—Jonathan Wright, Catholic Herald Leaving so few traces of himself behind, Thomas Aquinas seems to defy the efforts of the biographer. Highly visible as a public teacher, preacher, and theologian, he nevertheless has remained nearly invisible as man and saint. What can be discovered about Thomas Aquinas as a whole? In this short, compelling portrait, Denys Turner clears away the haze of time and brings Thomas vividly to life for contemporary readers—those unfamiliar with the saint as well as those well acquainted with his teachings. Building on the best biographical scholarship available today and reading the works of Thomas with piercing acuity, Turner seeks the point at which the man, the mind, and the soul of Thomas Aquinas intersect. Reflecting upon Thomas, a man of Christian Trinitarian faith yet one whose thought is grounded firmly in the body’s interaction with the material world, a thinker at once confident in the powers of human reason and a man of prayer, Turner provides a more detailed human portrait than ever before of one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in all of Western thought.

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9780300205947

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Reviews

'. . . if you require an introduction to the 'Angelic Doctor', Turner's magnificent book will serve you well.'-BBC History Magazine * BBC History Magazine *

'Denys Turner's wonderful new study, Thomas Aquinas: A Portrait, is a marvellous introduction to the thought of the most daring and most important thinker of the Christian Middle Ages: lucid, gripping and beautifully written, it ousts even G. K. Chesterton's famous study as the best single-volume introduction to St Thomas: ideal Summa reading!' (Eamon Duffy, The Tablet) 'With his familiar combination of deep faith and tough-minded analysis, Denys Turner introduces us to the thought of the greatest of Christian theologians, and does so in the lucid, expressive prose of a superb teacher.' (Terry Eagleton)

Author Information

Denys Turner is Horace Tracy Pitkin Professor of Historical Theology, Yale University.

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