1. Summa Theologiae Jacob Martin Cody Guttadauro 11/12/07

2. Origin The Summa Theologiae was written by St. Thomas Aquinas He wrote it from 1265-1274 It was intended to be a manual for all the beginners with all of the theological ideas of the time

3. Origin cont. It was reputed at the Council of Trent(1545-1563) It is famous for the five argument for the existence of God Thomas Aquinas died in 1274 leaving the work incomplete

4. Structure It is made up of three parts, each which deals with a subsection of Christian Theology Each part contains several questions All of the questions revolve around a more specific subtopic Each question contains several articles, which are phrased as interrogative statements

5. Points of the Summa Theologiae Theology is the greatest of all sciences because it is from God All statements about God are analogical or metaphorical

6. Part 1: Theology In this part Thomas Aquinas talks about how God exists He states the fivefold truth for the existence of God The fivefold truth is there must be a first mover, a first cause in the chain of causes, an absolutely necessary being, and absolutely perfect being, and a rational designer

7. Part 2: Ethics Sin is contrary to the divine order, it is guilt and subject to punishment Two things according to Aquinas constituted man's righteousness in paradise — the harmony of all man's powers before they were blighted by desire, and the possession of the continuous indwelling power of good Both are lost through original sin God workers in sinners to guide them to the end by instructing through the law and aiding by grace

8. Treatise on Law Question 90, article four of part 2 states that law come from eternal law of Divine Reason that governs the universe

9. Part 3: Christ Thomas Aquinas teaches that Christ is to be regarded as redeemer after his human nature but in such way that the human nature produces divine effects as organ of divinity The sacraments are not only signs of sanctification, but bring it about