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Secondary sourceBook1915

The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas, with Specimen Pages

Daniel Joseph Kennedy · 1915

A 1915 explanation of Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologica, with sample pages, written to help readers understand his great theological work.

A 1915 guide explaining Thomas's major work, the Summa Theologica, with pages from the original text.

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About this source

What it is

This is a 1915 book by Daniel Joseph Kennedy that explains what the Summa Theologica is and how it is organized, including specimen pages from the work itself. The Summa was written by Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century.

Why it matters

The Summa Theologica is Thomas's most famous work, a huge attempt to set out Christian theology in a complete and orderly way. Books like this one helped later students and readers understand the structure and purpose of a text that is otherwise very long and difficult.

Look closer

  • Why does the author compare the word 'Summa' to a 'Complete Manual' rather than a simple summary?
  • What does it suggest about the Summa that scholars still needed guidebooks to explain it centuries later?
  • What might be left out when a modern writer explains a medieval work for new readers?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Thomas Aquinas on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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