I studied Thomas Aquinas in the 1990s during my journey to make sense of the world after evangelicalism. I just started an online course about the philosophy of Aquinas, and it is a profound fresh breath of air.

Sometimes I feel I am alone in the universe, no one else seeing the world as I do, especially in the reglious world. As I study Aquinas, I recognize the impact he had on me in the 90s as we share so many of the same thoughts, me learning from him. I try to project how he would handle this postmodern world of the tewenty-first century as compared to his thirteenth century. I will share some of my favorite quotes from the man:

“Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine”

“Because philosophy arises from awe, a philosopher is bound in his way to be a lover of myths and poetic fables. Poets and philosophers are alike in being big with wonder.”

“Wonder is the desire of knowledge.”

“Most men seem to live according to sense rather than reason.”

“Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.”

“Love follows knowledge.”

“The study of truth requires a considerable effort – which is why few are willing to undertake it out of love of knowledge – despite the fact that God has implanted a natural appetite for such knowledge in the minds of men.”

“The truth of our faith becomes a matter of ridicule among the infidels if any Catholic, not gifted with the necessary scientific learning, presents as dogma what scientific scrutiny shows to be false.”

“While injustice is the worst of sins, despair is the most dangerous; because when you are in despair you care neither about yourself nor about others.”

“The human mind may perceive truth only through thinking, as is clear from Augustine.”

“Beware of the person of one book”

“It has become the fashion to talk about Mysticism, even to pose as Mystics, and—need it be said?—those who talk the most on such subjects are those who know the least.”

(And this one? I probably don’t agree with). “It is absurd and a detestable shame, that we should suffer those traditions to be changed which we have received from the fathers of old.”

Mike