Christians Reading Classics Thomas Aquinas For Protestants with Miles Smith
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Apr 23, 2026 Miles Smith, Hillsdale College historian who teaches Aquinas annually, discusses reading Thomas Aquinas as a Protestant. He tackles whether engaging the Summa requires conversion, the bigger question about using Aristotle, the Summa’s medieval context and reception, its Socratic method, and why some books break us while others do not.
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Aquinas Reconciles Reason And Revelation
- Thomas Aquinas aims to reconcile reason and revelation by showing truths discoverable by natural reason are not opposed to Christian faith.
- Miles highlights a key Summa passage: reason can teach truths about God, making the work epistemologically revolutionary for the 13th century.
The Real Question Is Aristotle Not Just Aquinas
- The bigger question for Christians is whether to appropriate Aristotle, since Aquinas heavily integrates Aristotelian categories.
- Miles reframes the debate: many who worry about following Aquinas are really wrestling with following Aristotle.
Start The Summa With Help And Selections
- Get help when reading the Summa: use selections, translations, and scholars to guide your first encounters.
- Miles learned Aquinas by teaching focused parts annually and consulting colleagues and translations because Latin mastery is rare.
