Tommaso d’Aquino, better known today as Saint Thomas Aquinas (1224/5–74), is the most significant theologian of the medieval era. Although he wrote a number of works, he is known today almost exclusively for his Summa Theologiae. In this Very Short Introduction, Fergus Kerr provides a biographical and contextual sketch of Thomas, dedicates three chapters to the three main sections of the Summa, then concludes with a chapter on Thomas’ enduring legacy.

Aquinas’ genius lay in conscripting Aristotelian philosophy in the service of Christian theology. This can be most clearly seen in the second part of the second book where Aquinas examines the three theological and four cardinal virtues (faith, hope, love, prudence, temperance, fortitude, justice). This was the most frequently distributed portion of his work which laid a foundation virtue ethicists still draw from today.

The biographer Kerr is able to describe complex theological themes with brevity and clarity. Although the (in)complete Summa contains 3,125 articles, Kerr’s introduction provides a solid overview which includes Aquinas’ more famous articles such as the five arguments for the existence of God while not neglecting the flow of the whole work.

As with every other book in Oxford’s Very Short Introduction series, Thomas Aquinas is well worth your time. In 127 pages, Kerr provides a surprisingly rich portrait of one of Christianity’s most significant theologians.

Kerr, Fergus. Thomas Aquinas: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford UP, 2009. Very Short Introductions 214.