1. St. Thomas Aquinas

2. Chapter 6 Thomas Aquinas: Scholastic Theologian & Creator of Medieval Christian Synthesis
Historical Context: Marie Johns
Life-Career-Contributions: Susan Jones
Theologian/Philosopher: Pat Morgan

3. Historical Context

4. ART
Berlinghiero: (active by 1228, died by 1236). This painting is of exceptional beauty and importance and is one of only two that can be confidently assigned to him. Berlinghiero was always open to Byzantine influence, and this Madonna is of the Byzantine type in which the Madonna points to the Child as the way to salvation.
Madonna and Child

5. Music
Toward the latter part of the Middle Ages, music consisted of two or more melodic lines that were heard simultaneously, called polyphony (music consisting of several (two or more) melodic lines, each having individual significance and independence). This appeared around the 1200s. Polyphony was more difficult to compose than the monophonic chant, because a composer had to combine multiple melodic lines in a way that would be pleasing to the listener. Most of the Medieval polyphonic music was anonymous, as the names of composers were never written down. However, there are a few exceptions, as some composers had works so important that their names were preserved along with their music.

6. Historical Events Western Reformulation of Medieval Christianity
Destabilization of Roman Empire
Synthesis of Theology & Philosophy
Role of the Scholastics

7. Life-Career- Educational Contributions

8. Life-Career- Educational Contributions
Born 1225
Wealthy Family
Mother: Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors
Uncle: Abbot of original Benedictine Monastery

9. Life Events Age 5: Age14: Enrolled at Benedictine Abbey
Enrolled at University of Naples

10. Age 18: Studied Aristotle’s logic & philosophy
Announced plans to join Dominicans
Ordained as a priest
Wrote first essay: On Being & Essence

11. Entered University of Paris Lectured using the scholastic method:
Age 27:
Entered University of Paris
Lectured using the scholastic method:
Lectured on text
Reviewed the arguments pro and con
Provided explanations
Drew conclusions

12. Age 30:
Made a Professor
Wrote Summa Contra Gentile
Challenged Arab Scholar’s views on Aristotle
Said that the individual soul possessed intellect

13. Age 49:
Died March 7, 1274
49 years after death: made a saint by Catholic Church

14. Theologian & Philosopher

15. Summa Theologiae Divine revelation is ultimate source of truth
Validity of human reason

16. Used Aristotle’s Ideas
natural sciences + ethics + politics = intelligible order
Raised to a higher dimension by faith

17. Thomism: known as realism
Supernatural: spiritual dimension
Natural order: physical dimension

18. Agreed with Aristotle concerning power of rationality
Reason = rational excellence = intellectual virtue
Expanded Aristotle’s ideas to include divine revelation

19. Thomism Curriculum
Reason + faith = rational excellence = doctrinal truth = vision of God after death
Encouraged study of Philosophy & Liberal Arts
Hierarchy of studies

20. De Magistro Aquinas’s Theory of Education
Purposeful
Reality is spiritual & physical
Reality is hierarchically structured

21. Formal Education: disciplina
Medieval Universities: scientia

22. Aquinas’s Model Teacher
Integrated knowledge & virtue
Teaching considered interactive

23. Aquinas’s Worldview All things are purposeful
Lead to ultimate end of fulfillment on earth and salvation in heaven

24. Conclusion & assessment
Thomism vs. contemporary U.S. society
Thomism effects on Western Education ideas
Relationship to class goals