Thomas Aquinas : A Rare Theologian

He was among the first who dared to start thinking about philosophical dilemmas that many conservative thinkers feared to even talk about. He lived a life of poverty and never married. His main aim in life was to contemplate about God, the Creator and His creation; and he did this with fine sophistication. His critics were harsh on him and condemned him as an intellectual beggar. Even amidst those cruel attacks on his character and his faith, Thomas Aquinas was always ready for challenges in life and on many occasions; delivered a counter reply in public debates or through theological treatises on spiritual subjects. He never got scared of a duel with the hypocrites and the hollow thinkers. He was always enthusiastic to plunge into the most complex of theological arguments. He got his first formal education at Abbey of Monte Cassino. As a young man, he was always asking this question repeatedly, “What is God?” It looked like a basic question but it was an awe-inspiring one, coming from a young person. These were the kinds of questions that most people, even today, do not bother asking and are afraid to ask. He had this desire to understand the basic factors of creation. His questions did not emit a sign of disbelief in One God or an absence of faith; they were vehicles of taking him closer to both the Creator and His Creation. His questions led to the driving force behind his quest during his life on earth. Though he lived a life of poverty and existed like a monk, he was born into a noble family in 1225. His family lived in Roccasecca in the Aquino region of Sicily, Italy. His father served at the court of King Roger II as a knight. Thomas began his formal education when he was five and he started at the monastery of Monte Cassino. At the age of thirteen, he was already recognized for his philosophical thoughts. He shifted to Naples and went to school at the Studium Generale, a university which was established by Frederick II. Here, he studied the classic works of great philosophers like Averroes, Maimonides and Aristotle. He was also impressed by the monks in Naples and decided that he would also become one as he grew old as he was keen to pursue higher knowledge like them. He felt that it was his true calling in life. He met with disapproval and bitter resentment from his family members. He went on to say things like “One will observe that all things are arranged according to their degrees of beauty and excellence, and that the nearer they are to God; the more beautiful and better they are.” Later on in life, Aquinas described his experience at the University of Naples as a “paradise of God, but inhabited by demons.” He became a pupil at this university of a professor who was known as `Peter of Ireland.” He was actually a Benedictine monk. Aquinas became such a rapid learner that he was able to repeat the lectures his professors taught, nearly verbatim. He was an extraordinary student and also became a charitable young man, always eager to hand over his food to the poor and the needy. He was eighteen years of age when he decided that he would spend his life as a Dominican friar. His model was Saint Francis of Assisi. This idea of his met with great resistance from his father and his family members. The friars, however, admitted him into their ranks even against the wishes of his father. In August 1243, Thomas donned the white robes of a Dominican initiate. After few months, Thomas went to the Roman Convent of Santa Sabina. There he wrote few golden words in his diary – “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary; to one without faith, no explanation is possible.” He was very clear about becoming a monk and about what he felt that God had ordained for him. None of his family members were able to dissuade him from his chosen path. Thomas then shifted residence to Cologne and there he wrote, “To bear with patience wrongs done to one-self is a mark of perfection; but, to bear with patience wrongs done to someone else is a mark of actual sin.” He was only nineteen years of age when he wrote that. In 1244, he was summoned by the Pope then to talk to him in person as word had reached him about his wisdom and his dedication. The Pope gave him the position of an abbot with a decent income. He was in the subsequent years made an official friar of Mary and was deemed a Dominican. At Cologne, Thomas became a pupil of the theologian, Albertus Magnus. He was also known as Saint Albert the Great. He was considered as the leading religious scholar of his day. He was also among the first to preach the writings of Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher. The Germans were arrogant against Thomas and they ridiculed him as a `dumb Sicilian ox.’ But, he did not budge and along with his teacher Albertus, he was defending complicated theological arguments, showing to the world his vast understanding of the faith. Thomas Aquinas hated being idle during a day. He wrote in his diary, “Idleness is the hook with which the devil fishes, with which all bait are taken.” Albert considered Aquinas as his foremost protégé and took him along on all is tours. One such tour was to Paris, where Thomas was allowed to spend time with his studies at the Dominican Convent of St. James. Thomas was now in his twenties. He spent time reading the Bible and relevant scriptures, night and day and started studying the works of Aristotle. He struggled with the contradictions he faced while doing this as Aristotle was an atheist. Here, he met Giovanni di Fidanza, who later on became Saint Bonaventure. Aquinas began to gain a wide following. He became prolific in writing philosophical works. His famous work from these times was `Summa Theologiae’. He wondered in it, “I cannot understand how anyone who knows he is in a state of mortal sin can laugh or be merry.” He went on to write in 1257 ‘Summa Contra Gentiles’. In this book, Aquinas built a link between Arab and Greek thought and framed it into a Christian perspective. His argument was that the intelligent thought of non-Christians shined brighter when placed under the light of Christian faith. He started working on a treatise on the Epistles of St. Paul. Soon after he wrote that, several monks who were his colleagues bore witness to the visitation of Jesus Christ. In 1261, he wrote in his diary, “the prayer-less soul advances in nothing.” During this time, the Greek Orthodox followers were regarded as heretical by Roman Catholic Church for their varying beliefs in matters of communion, Holy Spirit and the eventual authority of the pope. Thomas wrote a lengthy treatise on this subject and called it `Against the Errors of the Greeks’. People then could not deny the conviction and passion that Aquinas laid out in his arguments. He became a zealous proselytizer and was looked upon as the only bridge between Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Catholic Church. In 1263, he visited London and drew large crowds with his theological lectures. King Henry III of England praised him and his efforts. In 1264, Pope Urban IV died and Pope Clement IV was elected next. The new pope also thought highly of Thomas Aquinas and nominated him as the Archbishop of Napoli. Thomas refused this offer and opted instead to teach in Paris and Bologna. However, he returned to Napoli in 1272 and set up a university. He enlisted several handpicked faculty in order to teach the new recruits of the Dominican order. He began writing, during this time, his most famous work – Summa Theologiae. He was in his intellectual prime in his late forties. When he was not engaged in philosophical discussions, Thomas was busy writing. In one of his treatises, he wrote, “better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate.” He was also given to have supernatural encounters when he resided in Napoli. It is reported that on one night, people heard him engaged in an animated conversation during the middle of the night and there was no one in the room with him. He was arguing with an unknown presence. After the conversation ended, he started writing a complicated treatise, as reported by people closest to him. When asked by people near and dear to him, Aquinas had told them that he had visitations from Apostle Peter and Paul. Thomas Aquinas was said to occasionally fall into bouts of religious ecstasy. He became so intensely focused in his meditation and contemplation that it was difficult for anyone to snap him out of these sessions. In 1274, while visiting the Vatican, Thomas suffered a nasty fall. As he was travelling on a mule in the Terracina region, he got struck on the head by a branch that fell from a tree. He lost consciousness from that blow. From this day onwards, his condition grew worse and he passed away in a couple of months. He was only forty-nine when he died. A vast multitude attended his funeral. There is a report of a miracle taking place during his funeral. A person who was blind got his sight back. Five decades after his crossing over, Thomas Aquinas was canonised as a saint. A couple of centuries later, in 1567, he was declared a `Doctor of the Church’. This is a rare distinction and it is given only to those who have contributed great theological works and liturgy inspired by God. With this recognition, he is in great company of epic writers like Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine. His words have continued to lead all faithful followers down the path of divine enlightenment. The greatest legacy he has left behind for people was his inquisitive mind. He always dared to make enquiries into matters that many never dreamed of questioning. He trained himself in the logic of classic philosophers such as Aristotle. He was good at asking fundamental questions and backed himself up with considerable force of reason when it came to creation of logical arguments. Earlier in his life, his peers interpreted his silence as stupidity and ridiculed him by calling him a `dumb ox’. Answers came to his instinctive questioning both as logical reasoning and through divine visitation as witnessed by many of those who were close to him. His philosophical legacy is still unfolding close to a millennium after his death. His life was a shining example as a testament of devotion and utter faith.