St. Thomas Aquinas

Saint Thomas Aquinas is one of the Church’s greatest philosophers and theologians.


Born in thirteenth century Italy, Aquinas wrote some of the most influential books of the medieval period.

He revolutionized the way members of the Church thought as he reincorporated the ideas and philosophy of Aristotle back into medieval Christianity.

The impact of Aquinas’ ideas has led him to be venerated not only by Catholics and Protestants, but also by non-religious thinkers who continue to revere his greatest work the Summa Theologica as “one of the classics of the history of philosophy and one of the most influential works of Western literature.”

St. Thomas Aquinas by G. K. Chesterton is an accessible overview of the life and work of this remarkable medieval man.

In the introduction of this book Chesterton makes the statement that this book was not meant to be “anything but a popular sketch of a great historical character who ought to be more popular”, but its impact has been far greater. Etienne Gilson, a prominent 20th century expert on Aquinas, stated “I consider it as being without possible comparison the best book ever written on St. Thomas. Nothing short of genius can account for such an achievement.... Chesterton was one of the deepest thinkers who ever existed; he was deep because he was right; and he could not help being right; but he could not either help being modest and charitable, so he left it to those who could understand him to know that he was right, and deep."

G. K. Chesterton was an English writer, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, lay theologian, biographer, and literary and art critic. His book St. Thomas Aquinas was first published in 1933 and he passed away in 1936.