After 800 years, Aquinas’ writings continue to inspire

In 2025, Catholics the world over celebrate the 800th anniversary of the birth of St Thomas Aquinas. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1567, the Italian Dominican priest and scholar is widely considered one of the greatest contributors to Catholic theology and philosophy. His writings deftly synthesise the theology of Christianity with the work of the ancient philosophers, in particular Aristotle, uniting faith and reason in a profound way and influencing Catholic teaching to this day.

His most famous work, the Summa Theologiae, is a testament to his intellect and stands out among writings of the period for its depth of insight, clarity of argument and the vast research behind it. The enduring influence of his work can be seen in the many ideas that continue to permeate modern society, from the concept of the common good to natural law theory and the relationship between faith and reason.

St Thomas offers us a systematic understanding of the nature of God and the human being and our salvation in Christ.

The Dominican Order, to which he belonged, has an equally rich history of preaching and education, dating back to the order’s founding in 1208. In this tradition, the Dominican Friars of St Dominic’s Priory in Camberwell have continued to celebrate and promote the intellectual legacy of their most celebrated scholar. As part of this important anniversary year, the Dominicans at the Melbourne Thomistic Institute (MTI) are inviting Melburnians to learn more about St Thomas through a series of four-week courses on Thomism. Each course is led by a Dominican friar who has undertaken doctoral studies on St Thomas.

For Rev Dr Joseph Vnuk, a Dominican at MTI and faculty member at Catholic Theological College, the course offers the opportunity for religious and lay people alike to be inspired by St Thomas’ writings, which he believes continue to offer sage advice, even in our complex, modern world.

‘St Thomas offers us a systematic understanding of the nature of God and the human being and our salvation in Christ,’ he explains.

‘With this framework, you can begin to think analytically and draw important distinctions, developing a set of tools to approach modern challenges methodically.’

Ancient tools for modern problems

An aspect of Thomistic thought that Dr Vnuk believes is especially valuable in our time is the saint’s nuanced understanding of human nature, and particularly the relationship between the body and soul.

‘One of the modules [offered by MTI] is on the human soul and the relation between the soul and the body. As you go through that, you realise that a lot of the big debates in our society come from people having different ideas of how the soul is in the body,’ Dr Vnuk says.

What strikes me with Thomas is his humility. His judgment is never just this or that but what he can take from both and synthesise.

‘Thomas’ view of the soul–body relationship, while acknowledging the superiority of the soul, never makes the body a mere instrument of the soul. Just this small section of his writings can help us understand the ethical dilemmas of many modern issues, such as contraception, abortion, gender reassignment surgery, cosmetic surgery and euthanasia.’

Contemplating truth

On a warm Tuesday night at St Dominic’s Priory in Camberwell, a dedicated group of 15 students are completing their final module of the year with a lecture on St Thomas’ understanding on human emotion.

The lecture, delivered by Fr James Bater OP, guides the students through Thomas’ remarkably nuanced understanding of human emotions, exploring them from the perspective of God’s purpose for creation.

In the class are Ewa and Martin, two regular attendees who both say they have gained immensely from studying Aquinas.

‘What strikes me with Thomas is his humility,’ Ewa says when asked what has impressed her most in reading the works of the saint.

‘His judgment is never just this or that but what he can take from both and synthesise. It’s like he’s standing on the shoulders of two giants and moving forward.’

For Ewa, a practising physician, the course offers not just a theological education but a philosophical framework that complemented her medical practice.

‘I didn’t have a compass, if you will: how to think, how to interpret not only facts but also the emotions. And I thought that would be the place to actually take it a bit deeper and understand a bit more.’

For Martin, a lay Dominican, the course is an opportunity to learn more about an important part of order’s history.

‘St Thomas Aquinas is more or less the centre of theology for Dominicans,’ he explains.‘It’s been enjoyable to learn to read the Summa—and sometimes understand it!’

Plans for the future

The course, which began last year, has been thoughtfully structured to make Thomas’ profound insights accessible to students from a wide range of backgrounds. It attracts a core group of about 25 dedicated students each week and has been broken down into manageable four-week modules.

‘We didn’t want something that you had to commit every Thursday evening to,’ explains Dr Vnuk. ‘That would just be too daunting for people. The idea is to commit for four weeks, then there’s a break, and then commit for another four weeks.’

If you study Thomas, you discover the goodness of creation in all its forms. It will give a much healthier way of living—one that is more grateful to God.

Building on the success of this approach, there are plans to expand the courses offered in coming years. MTI has now developed a comprehensive three-year program, allowing students to progressively deepen their understanding of Thomistic thought.

‘People who did the program this year will go into the second year of the cycle, and we’ll start the first year of the cycle over again, with slight tweaking from things we’ve learned,’ Dr Vnuk explains.

The current cycle began around the time of the feast of Thomas Aquinas (28 January) and started with an introduction to St Thomas and his theology before moving on to other topics, including ‘The oneness of God’ and ‘Thomas on the human being’.

As this important anniversary of Thomas Aquinas’ birth approaches, the classes at the institute offer a timely opportunity for Melburnians to engage with one of the Church’s most brilliant minds—a scholar and man of God whose insights continue to illuminate our understanding of faith, reason and human nature in the modern world.

‘If you study Thomas, you discover the goodness of creation in all its forms,’ Fr Vnuk says.

‘It will give a much healthier way of living—one that is more grateful to God.’