Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274): Faith Seeking Understanding
- Ken Kalis
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
As an Evangelical Christian, I stand against the theology of Aquinas.
The Protestant Reformation freed millions from the bondage of Rome's false gospel:
That salvation was a result of works, that salvation was in the church and not the Lord Jesus Christ.
Elitist Aquinas put all of that into 3225 articles that still stand as the doctrine of Rome.
But Jesus loved Thomas and freed him from that straw. Read on and see how.
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Thomas Aquinas stands as the foremost scholar and philosopher of the Middle Ages, the towering intellect of medieval Christianity.
As the leading scholar of his age, Aquinas undertook one of the most ambitious tasks ever attempted by a Christian thinker: to reconcile the truths of Christian revelation with the philosophy of Aristotle and the wider Greek tradition.
From this effort emerged what later generations would call Natural Law—an attempt to show that reason itself, properly used, points toward God.
He possessed one of the greatest minds in history, though it was housed in an unlovely body.
Contemporary accounts describe him as large, awkward, and physically unimpressive, with one eye noticeably larger than the other. He was slow to speak and withdrawn, earning him the cruel nickname “the dumb ox” from fellow students who mistook silence for stupidity.
Time would prove them profoundly wrong.
Thomas began his studies at the age of five, initially destined by his noble family for a comfortable ecclesiastical life as an abbot, following the path of his uncle. But his mind was drawn elsewhere.
He became fascinated with Aristotle and with the works of Islamic philosopher Averroes and Jewish scholar Maimonides—figures whose ideas would deeply shape his philosophical method, even as he sought to subordinate all thought to Christian truth.
At nineteen, Thomas made a decisive and scandalous choice: he joined the Dominican Order. His family fiercely opposed this move. In response, they kidnapped him and held him captive at home for nearly a year, attempting to break his resolve.
According to tradition, they even sent a prostitute to tempt him into renouncing his vows. Legend tells us that angels appeared to him in a dream, strengthening his commitment to chastity and to God.
Eventually, his mother arranged for him to go to Rome, where Pope Innocent IV offered him a prestigious position as abbot. Thomas refused.
Instead, he pursued further study at the University of Paris, earning his master’s degree in theology and lecturing extensively on Scripture—particularly the Old Testament. Though best remembered as a philosopher, Thomas was first and foremost a biblical theologian.
His life placed him among kings, professors, and popes. He debated scholars, advised rulers, and was repeatedly sought out by church authorities. Yet his central vocation remained constant: to demonstrate that faith and reason are not enemies.
Aquinas believed that truth is unified, and that all truth—whether discovered by reason or revealed by Scripture—ultimately comes from God. He combed Aristotle’s works, extracting what could serve Christian doctrine while rejecting what could not.
The sheer volume of his writing is staggering, but one work overshadows all others: the Summa Theologiae. Originally written as an instructional guide for theology students, it became the most systematic exposition of Christian doctrine ever attempted.
Over time, it formed the foundation of Roman Catholic theology and continues to shape it to this day.
Yet Aquinas was far more than a monumental intellect. He was a preacher, a monk, and a humble follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. He experienced what are often described as mystical encounters with Christ, moments that placed his towering intellect in proper perspective.
In one such encounter, when asked by the Lord what reward he desired for his labors, Thomas replied simply, “Nothing but You, Lord.”
Not long after, Christ appeared to him again. Following this experience, Thomas ceased writing altogether. The Summa Theologiae was left unfinished.
When his secretary, Reginald, begged him to continue, Thomas answered with unforgettable humility:“Reginald, I cannot, because all that I have written seems like straw to me.”
The man who had constructed the most elaborate theological system in history now judged it insignificant compared to the reality of Christ Himself.
He also composed the hymn Panis Angelicus, anything but straw—a lyrical expression of devotion still sung today, bearing witness to both the Lord Jesus Christ and His servant Thomas.
Tragically, much of Aquinas’s work was later elevated by the institutional church to a place it was never meant to occupy—sometimes standing alongside, or even above, Scripture itself.
This would have grieved Thomas deeply. Faith, for him, was never a substitute for Christ, nor was reason a replacement for revelation. The salvation he defended so carefully was by faith alone, yet this very faith was later obscured by ecclesiastical power and ambition.
Thomas Aquinas remains a towering figure: a man of immense intellect, deep humility, and genuine devotion to Christ. His life reminds us that reason has its place, learning has its value, and systems have their use—but all of them must bow before the living Lord.
“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”
Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, grant us minds that seek truth faithfully, hearts that love You above all knowledge, and humility to confess that all our words are nothing unless they lead us to You.
TAKE THE WORLD, BUT GIVE ME JESUS
Take the world, but give me Jesus,
All its joys are but a name;
But His love abideth ever,
Through eternal years the same.
Refrain
Oh, the height and depth of mercy!
Oh, the length and breadth of love!
Oh, the fullness of redemption,
Pledge of endless life above!
Take the world, but give me Jesus,
Sweetest comfort of my soul;
With my Savior watching o’er me,
I can sing though billows roll.
Refrain
Take the world, but give me Jesus,
Let me view His constant smile;
Then throughout my pilgrim journey
Light will cheer me all the while.
Refrain
Take the world, but give me Jesus.
In His cross my trust shall be,
Till, with clearer, brighter vision,
Face to face my Lord I see.
Refrain
Fanny Crosby, 1879:
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain
the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mark 8:36
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