Hillbillies at the Gates: Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt’s <em>Thomas Aquinas: Faith, Reason, and Following Christ</em>

Main Article Content

Brendan Thomas Sammon

Abstract

This review essay examines the above title seeing it as an important contribution to Thomistic studies for a few different reasons: 1) it emphasizes a reading of Thomas that locates his thinking within his context as a friar preacher in the Dominican Order; 2) it thererfore emphasizes dimensions of Thomas's thought that are often ignored by the commentary tradition; 3) it stress the importance of history and historical context without falling into a historicism; 4) it is a reading that stresses a both/and, or middle, logic not only with respect to its own internal substance as a text, but with respect to how Thomas hismelf understood most of the complex issues (grace/nature; intellect/will, etc.). Throughout this essay, many of the primary issues examined in Bauerschmidt's text are highlighted to emphasize the importance that such a middle reading has for Thomistic studies.

Article Details

Section
Review Essays