Description

Thomas Aquinas: Teacher and Scholar is an edited academic volume published by Four Courts Press as part of The Aquinas Lectures at Maynooth series. It brings together contributions from leading international scholars in philosophy and theology, reflecting on the intellectual legacy of St Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) and his continuing relevance in contemporary thought.

The collection originated from a lecture series founded by the late James McEvoy, and it reflects his aim of fostering renewed engagement with Aquinas’s writings within both philosophical and theological traditions.

Key Themes Covered

The essays in the volume address a wide range of Aquinas’s ideas, including:

• His understanding of the Eucharist and sacramental theology
• The relationship between faith, reason, and divine knowledge
• Virtue ethics and moral philosophy
• The concept of being and metaphysical realism
• The problem of suffering and divine providence
• Aquinas’s influence on later medieval and modern philosophy

Contributors include prominent scholars such as Eleonore Stump, William Desmond, Philip Rosemann, Vivian Boland, and Denys Turner, making the book a high-level academic engagement with Thomistic thought.

Academic Significance

The volume is structured as both a tribute to McEvoy’s scholarship and a contribution to ongoing Thomistic studies. It situates Aquinas not only as a historical figure but as a living philosophical influence, particularly in debates on ethics, metaphysics, and theology in the modern world.

Rather than offering a single narrative, the book presents multiple scholarly perspectives, making it a key reference for:

• Medieval philosophy research
• Catholic theological studies
• History of ideas in Western philosophy
• Thomistic scholarship in Ireland and beyond