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This piece is part of a larger section called 'Questions, comments and continuing conversations'.
To see all of that section, click on these lines.
Thomas not just a doctor, but a saint
I have been fascinated by the debate in the Concourse over our proper relationship to St. Thomas Aquinas. However, the debate--at least explicitly--has underestimated the role the Communion of Saints plays in every aspect of our lives. At a Catholic university this is an impoverishment.
Of course we should not treat the writings of St. Thomas as though they were sacred Scripture. On the other hand, it does not seem prudent to treat his writings as suspect until proven otherwise: surely he has at least earned the benefit of the doubt.
But, more importantly, we neither stand on St. Thomas' shoulders nor rest in his lap (though the latter seems more accurate, except perhaps for someone such as John Paul II). Rather we have a relationship to St. Thomas that yields far greater fruit than the writings of any mere philosopher or the search for abstract truths ever could (which is not to say we ought not to be diligently searching for such truths).
We are in communion on our knees with St. Thomas, who intercedes for us and never ceases to help unite us spiritually and intellectually closer to the source and summit of all holiness and truth, Jesus Christ.
Jim Fox, Executive Director of University Relations
Related Articles:
• To Systematize or not to Systematize: Philosophy at a Catholic University, Rebecca Bratten (I,1)
• A perennially valid and Christian philosophy: Why the Church gives St. Thomas primacy of place in Catholic education, Edy Morel de la Prada (I,2)
• The freedom of Catholic philosophers: Why we need not necessarily give primacy to St. Thomas, Richard Gordon (I,3)
• St. Thomas and freedom: a reply to Richard Gordon, Edy Morel de la Prada (I,4)
• St. Thomas and Catholic connaturality, Michael Waldstein (I,4)
• Thomism and intellectual freedom, Kathleen van Schaijik (I,5)
• Thomism, Courtney Scharfe (I,6)
• Chairman addresses the question of Thomism in Franciscan University's philosophy department, John F. Crosby (I,6)
• Finding common ground between Thomists and non-Thomists in Catholic philosophy, John F. Crosby (I,7)
• A respectful reply to Dr. Crosby, Edy Morel de la Prada (I,7)
• On dwarfs, giants and little boys, Jules van Schaijik (II,3)
• Why the little boy is more apt than the dwarf, Richard W. Cross (II,4)
• Thomas not just a doctor, but a saint, Jim Fox (II,5)
By the same author:
• Core curriculum (2), (I,2)
• The goodness of Democracy & the aristocratic response, (I,7)
• Thomas not just a doctor, but a saint, (II,5)
• Distance Education: is it good enough?, (III,4)
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© The University Concourse, November 20, 1996
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