By John Petty, Catholic Editor
St. Thomas Aquinas was a medieval Dominican friar, known for his holiness as well as his brilliance in the fields of theology and philosophy. Known as the Common Doctor of the Catholic Church, his teachings have influenced Catholic theology and Western philosophy on a large scale.
Promotional poster – Photo by John Petty
On the evening of Oct. 1, Seth Kreeger presented “St. Thomas Aquinas and the Office of the Wiseman”, beginning the Fall Speaker Series of the Aquinas College Catholic Studies Department.
Kreeger’s presentation centered on the relationship between theology and philosophy. The Greek word philosophy translates in English as “love of wisdom.” A liberal arts institution, Aquinas College is founded on the philosophical tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas. Interestingly enough, St. Thomas’ use of the philosophy of the Greek philosopher Aristotle was quite controversial in his day. So too, the nature of the relationship between faith and reason has been debated for eons.
Presentation – Photo by John Petty
Kreeger spoke about how though Aquinas used elements of philosophy–often from pagan sources–he likely would not consider himself a philosopher. Many of the philosophers Aquinas drew from included Aristotle, Plotinus, and Avicenna. Though neither of these men were Christians, they nevertheless provided seedlings of truth worthy of recognition and usage in pursuit of true wisdom.
“In [Kreeger’s] talk, he showed that faith and reason aren’t mutually exclusive, and that they are two sides of the same coin,” junior Mitchell Chrapek said. “Faith doesn’t disprove reason, but rather presupposes it.”
Philosophy properly understood, according to Kreeger, necessitates its proper place in relationship to God. According to Kreeger, one cannot truly be wise when philosophy is separated from God. Philosophy is not to be scorned by any means, however. For faith and reason are contradictory, they are complimentary. St. John Paul II wrote Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason), a papal encyclical with this particular focus.
The Fall speaker series will continue on, featuring future presentations with Dr. Daniel Wagner and Dr. Anthony Allen.
