THOMISM

philosophical and theological system developed by Thomas Aquinas, by his later commentators, and by modern revivalists of the system, known as neo-Thomists. philosophical and theological system developed by Thomas Aquinas, by his later commentators, and by modern revivalists of the system, known as neo-Thomists. Distinguishing between the realms of nature (in which reason and philosophy hold sway) and of supernature (in which faith and theology are dominant), Thomas synthesized the thought of the Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato and that of Augustine and other early Church Fathers, though he successfully developed a complex and distinctive corpus of thought of his own. He distinguished between essence and existence and maintained that the human soul is a unique subsistent form, substantially united with matter to constitute human nature. The thought of Thomas was analyzed and restated especially by Dominican commentators up through the 16th century. In the 19th and 20th centuries, owing to modern social and intellectual issues, the study of Thomism was revived, especially under the influence of the Jesuits and the papacy, as a philosophical basis to answer contemporary problems. Since the mid-20th century neo-Thomists have tried to develop an adequate philosophy of science, to take account of phenomenological and psychiatric findings, and to evaluate the ontologies (theories of Being) of existentialism and naturalism. Additional reading The following studies of Aquinas' theology and philosophy are worth consulting: tienne Gilson, The Christian Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas (1956, reprinted 1983; originally published in French, 1922); M.D. Chenu, Toward Understanding St. Thomas (1964; originally published in French, 1950); Martin C. D'Arcy, St. Thomas Aquinas (1953); Oliva Blanchette, The Perfection of the Universe According to Aquinas: A Teleological Cosmology (1992); John F. Wippel, Metaphysical Themes in Thomas Aquinas (1984), on Aquinas as a Christian philosopher; Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, St. Thomas Aquinas, 12741974: Commemorative Studies, 2 vol. (1974), 35 essays by neo-Scholastic scholars; Norman Kretzmann and Eleonore Stump (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Aquinas (1993), a collection of scholarly essays; David B. Burrell, Aquinas: God and Action (1979), an advanced linguistic discussion of St. Thomas' Summa theologica; Fernand van Steenberghen, Thomas Aquinas and Radical Aristotelianism (1980), a study of major aspects of St. Thomas' thought; Ralph McInerny, Aquinas on Human Action: A Theory of Practice (1992), on his moral philosophy; Jean Porter, The Recovery of Virtue: The Relevance of Aquinas for Christian Ethics (1990); Anthony Kenny, Aquinas on Mind (1993), an analytic perspective on his philosophical psychology; and Umberto Eco, The Aesthetics of Thomas Aquinas (1988; originally published in Italian, 1956), examining his writings and other medieval theories.