Book Review: Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master by Robert Barron

Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master by Robert Barron

Anyone reading Thomas Aquinas's writings can be forgiven if they find the writings very dry and impenetrable. The academic style of the 1200s has not been in fashion for a long time. Many of the texts are distillations of public academic disputes that were probably more interesting as live discussions than as transcripts. Casual readers are tempted to see his works as "pure theology," a lot of information without any spiritual inspiration or guidance for the typical Christian. Bishop Robert Barron argue that Thomas is a spiritual writer and his works are centered on the key mystery of salvation history--the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity as the man Jesus Christ. 

Jesus is Someone we know almost entirely through Sacred Scriptures. Thomas starts the Summa Theologiae (his most famous work) with a discussion of revelation and human reason. While human reason can discover truths about God, revelation is given as a more sure and easier way to come to know and love the Supreme Being. Barron points out the discussion of God's existence is not called "proofs" by Thomas, but "ways." These are various ways that we come to know God, which is really the point of having the knowledge. It's not that we get there on our own, but that we get there. With God is where we belong. It's what God wants. He wants it so much that He became a man in order to lead us to a more full union with God, not just intellectually but personally. 

And yet, God is beyond our comprehension. Thomas next discusses various attributes of God, which are ultimately negations of limitations or human understandings. God is present to all of the world as its creator. God does not stay in one spot, making it easy for us to avoid him. As its creator, He is present not only in all of three-dimensional space, He is also present at every moment in time, i.e. He is eternal. These ideas lead to the notion that God is truly transcendent. He's not someone to be bargained with (e.g., I'll give you 10 percent of my grain if You guarantee next year's harvest). He's not a co-equal principle with whatever causes evil. He makes everything, everywhere, at all times, without input from others. We can't put God in a box and make Him do what we want. This understanding helps us to avoid lots of errors.

Barron concludes with Thomas's look at human happiness. The human mind has the ability to know anything; the human will can desire anything that it sees as good. Only an infinite good can satisfy these human powers. Wealth is only desirable to get other thing. Fame and power easily slip away from those who seek them. We always want more because we can always imagine more or see the limitations of the finite things we have. The only truly satisfaction is by knowing and loving God.

Barron looks at Thomas's writings as an attempt to draw the reader closer to God, by logic or persuasion. Thomas knows that such union is our ultimate purpose in life. While not autobiographical like Therese of Lisieux or poetic like John of the Cross, Thomas is a spiritual master who can lead his readers closer to their heavenly home. A reader needs to take a bit more care to see the deeper purpose of Thomas.

Recommended.