Book Review: Thomas Aquinas: Selected Commentaries on the New Testament ed. Jason C. Paone

Thomas Aquinas: Selected Commentaries on the New Testament edited with an introduction and notes by Jason C. Paone

Saint Thomas Aquinas's most famous work is his Summa Theologiae, though perhaps his most popular is either Adoro te devote or Tantum ergo, though who in the pew really knows who writes hymns? His primary job as an academic in the 1200s was teaching and commenting on Scriptures. He wrote several commentaries which have been translated into English but are not readily available. To make an introduction to the texts for the academic crowd and others interested in his work, Jason Paone has brought together excerpts from various commentaries, interspersed with some of Aquinas's devotional poems.

Thomas's commentaries are highly organized and precise. When commenting on a set of Bible verses, he will break down in outline the points that the author is making. So he will say something like, "First, the author says this, second this, third this. About the first he makes two points. First he explains this, second he shows its relation to God's grace. In the first, he say..." The style makes the reader have to be very focused and retentive while reading. Such reading is well worth the effort as Thomas shows various ways that Church Fathers have taken a verse or various details that can be seen in the verse. He is very precise and has plenty of good insights. His style is a little dry compared to modern commentaries. This book is much better as devotional reading than as bedtime reading.

Recommended, highly if you want to dip your toe into Thomas's Biblical commentaries.