Thomas Aquinas — Season 1, Episode 2: Approach to God
Documentary, Talk • 51 min • 1 season, 8 episodes
Episode synopsis
In lecture two, we study Thomas Aquinas's approach to God, the central focus of his life. We examine why Aquinas rejects Anselm's ontological argument, preferring empirical proofs drawn from worldly observation. We analyze three of his Five Ways: the argument from motion (showing God as unmoved mover), from contingency (God as necessary being), and from teleology (God as supreme intelligence). Aquinas calls these "ways" not proofs, acknowledging human limitations in comprehending God. Each argument reveals God's present activity in the world, not merely past creation.
About Thomas Aquinas
In Thomas Aquinas, a seven-hour course, Bishop Robert Barron guides us through a study of the theological and philosophical system of Thomas Aquinas, the 13th-century Dominican friar who masterfully synthesized Ancient Greek philosophy with Christian doctrine. We examine his Five Ways for demonstrating God's existence, his understanding of divine attributes and the Trinity, and his teachings on creation, providence, and the problem of evil. The course delves into Aquinas's philosophical anthropology, particularly the relationship between body and soul and humanity's creation in God's image. We conclude by studying his ethical framework centered on finding happiness in God as humanity's ultimate goal, and the role of virtues in ordering human life toward God.