Seminar: Understanding Aquinas on his own Terms

This is a seminar in practical exegesis of the Thomistic writings. We will review: questions of historiography and historical context; medieval theory of language, including the practices of grammar, dialectic and rhetoric; pedagogical practices of the university; Aquinas' use of philosophical tools for understanding (Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics); key principles of theological method according to Aquinas (science, contemplation, wisdom); kinds of writings and their responsible exegesis. The seminar meets for three hours a week, and relies heavily on in-class exercises. In addition to students preparing for the disciplined theological or historical study of Aquinas, this seminar will be of interest to any student seeking to develop those skills that assist in the understanding of the great ancient and medieval classics of theology.