Why should we be learning anything from this 13th century Dominican friar? St Thomas Aquinas' intellectual legacy has enriched the Church arguably beyond compare. Known as the Common Doctor of the Church, St Thomas is a sure guide, one who gives most eloquent expression to the Church's faith and teaching.
Join us for this 5 week crash course delving into some of the intellectual pillars of the thought of St Thomas. Doing so will unlock a whole world of deeper knowledge of the greatest mysteries of the Church, most especially what she teaches about Jesus Christ. I hope you will find that St Thomas' approach to core truths about reality remains as relevant and powerful as ever.
The slenderest knowledge that may be obtained of the highest things is more desirable than the most certain knowledge obtained of lesser things.
| Weeks | Topic | More info |
|---|---|---|
| Week One — Tuesday 22 March | Who is St Thomas Aquinas? | |
| Week Two — Tuesday 29 March | St Thomas and the four causes | To understand Aquinas, we need to enter into his philosophical worldview. Welcome to looking at reality through the perspective of causality. |
| Week Three — Tuesday 5 April | 5 ways to approach the question of God's existence | This week we will pay particular attention to Dr Edward Feser's excellent explanation of the way of causality. Hopefully we will also see the wisdom of his argument for a return to Aristotelian-Thomistic metaphysics. |
| Week Four — Tuesday 12 April | Body and soul | This is absolutely fundamental when it comes to understanding the human person and the mystery of the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ. |
| Week Five — Tuesday 26 April | "Natural Law" | Hopefully by the end of this course we are all caught up in wonder, moving with Aquinas into a worldview filled with intentionality, love and purpose. |
Sr Mary Helen OP
Sister Mary Helen, OP is a religious sister from the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia. Growing up in Melbourne, she studied Chemical Engineering and Science at Monash University before going on to further studies abroad in Moral Theology and Education. Sister Mary Helen has joyfully witnessed the transformation that happens when students take time to step into the luminous intellectual, moral and spiritual world of Aquinas. She is very excited to open this world to you.
