

Hardcover: 651 pages
Publisher: Christian Classics (December 1989)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0870611704
ISBN-13: 978-0870611704
Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,943,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #377 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Catholicism > Theology #581 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Medieval Thought #30604 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Christian Denominations & Sects

As a research student in philosophy and a Catholic priest I have found this volume invaluable. It sits on my shelf next to my five volume 1950 Leonine edition of the Summa and acts as an expanded index. This is undoubtedly its greatest value: when seeking something in the Summa the ability to lift down this one volume, look for the appropriate text and check a summary of the Questions before turning to the real thing. I would additionally recommend it to all philosophy students and those interested in Catholic Philosophy and Theology as a text which can stand alone and whet the interest in this great thinkers magnum opus.
For those of us who do not have the time to physically sit down and read all five books of the Summa, this is most certainly the closest you will come to consuming the real thing! I found this after I had began to read the first few chapters and nothing comes so close to capturing the essence of Aquinas's writings so thouroughly (and in only a sixth of the size of the original)! This book is a must for the true Thomistic scholar!
While any rigorous Thomistic scholarship obviously requires reference to Aquinas' unabridged works, this translation and abridgment is ideal for introducing students to Aquinas' thought. It allows students access to primary source material which would otherwise be too voluminous for easy consumption in an introductory setting. While scholars may debate the correctness of some of the translation, that is an issue for almost any translated text. Hence, I utilize this text myself in teaching Aquinas and highly recommend it to others looking for their first exposure to the Angelic Doctor's supreme achievment.
This is an impressive book. It is a collection of all of the "I answer that" sections of the Summa Theologica. This gives you a supreme one-volume version of Thomas' affirmative thought on Catholic Theology and Philosophy. This is a great "Thumbnail" and "introduction" to the hefty five-volume opus that many people love, but few have read.There are only two deficiencies with this volume. It does not have any commentary that other Thomistic books have, such as "A Summa of the Summa." Secondly, it omits the rather fascinating interplay of ideas that characterizes all of Thomas' works. Aquinas was agile at confronting and assimilating opposing ideas. He was able to intellectually met steel to steel, and this is what makes him a mental giant.This book is good for Catholics who want to know their religion, or anyone who is not Catholic (as I am), who can appreciate a genius when he or she works
Regardless of your religious perspective (or lack thereof), you will learn that the basis for a great deal of modern ethical rationale is rooted in the wisdom of Aquinas. This translation is regarded as most readable by those brighter than I; however, as a physician on our academic medical center's Ethics Committee and a Palliative Care Consultative Service, I enjoy the notion that this scholar's influence is profound regardless of one's existential/religious/spiritual biases. I admittedly have to read it in small portions and often cross reference to other areas in the text. At almost 60 years of age, it is especially fun to read this and think of it not as an obligatory chore and more of edification.
I am not crazy about this book simply because it is a Concise translation. Otherwise it is a fine work. If you arent familiar with the scholastic set up or how it works this is probably the work for you, or are a "casual" reader of Thomas perhaps. I cannot quite imagine a casual reader of Thomas but thats ok. I would definitely recomend at least looking at the real thing at least once. The Benziger Bros. edition is probably one of the best, it keeps the scholastic structure that is, I think, so important especially for philosophical work. As someone familiar with medieval scholastic philosophy I could hardly imagine trying to slog through Thomas without the inherent structure to the argument that the scholastic form brings to it which is pretty much the part that gets sacrificed for conciseness in this version.
Summa Theologiae: A Concise Translation Aquinas's Shorter Summa: Saint Thomas's Own Concise Version of His Summa Theologica The Routledge Guidebook to Aquinas' Summa Theologiae (The Routledge Guides to the Great Books) A Shorter Summa: The Essential Philosophical Passages of Saint Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica A Summa of the Summa Strong's Concise Concordance And Vine's Concise Dictionary Of The Bible Two Bible Reference Classics In One Handy Volume AMG Concise Life of Christ (AMG Concise Series) Aquinas' Summa Summa Contra Gentiles: Book Two: Creation The Confessions: (Vol. I/1) Revised, (The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century) (The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century, Vol. 1) Translation-mediated Communication in a Digital World: Facing the Challenges of Globalization and Localization (Topics in Translation) Lancelot-Grail: 2. The Story of Merlin: The Old French Arthurian Vulgate and Post-Vulgate in Translation (Lancelot-Grail: The Old French Arthurian Vulgate and Post-Vulgate in Translation) Romans: Grace and Glory (The Passion Translation): The Passion Translation American House Styles: A Concise Guide Furniture: A Concise History (World of Art) Student Workbook: for Concise Introduction to Tonal Harmony Ballet and Modern Dance: A Concise History A Concise History of the Middle East, Ninth Edition Concise Study of Basic Theology, Vol. V: Study of the End of the Ages A Concise History of the Christian Religion: From a Historic Perspective