The New Student's Reference Work/Aquinas, Thomas

Aquinas (ă-kwī' nȧs), Thomas (c. 1225–1274), was the greatest of the Christian philosophers of the Middle Ages. He is known as "the angelical doctor" and "the universal doctor." Aquinas, so called because of his birthplace Aquino, in Italy, was a member of the order of Black Friars. His chief work is the Summa Theologiæ. His writings were regarded by his followers as almost sacred; and in 1323 he was canonised as Saint Thomas Aquinas. Although he knew little of history and nothing of Hebrew and Greek, the learning of Aquinas was as extensive as was possible previous to the Renaissance. In the 14th century scholars became divided into two great bodies, the Thomists or followers of Aquinas and the Scotists or the followers of the Franciscan writer, Duns Scotus. The doctrines of Aquinas somewhat resemble those of Aristotle, who was known in part to Aquinas in translation, and those of the Scotists are indebted to Plato. The great work of Aquinas was his attempt to bring together scientific learning and Christian doctrine into one complete system.