Summa Contra Gentiles, 1552.

B765.T53 S94 1552

Theology, Church Doctrine, Apologetics

This second 16th century folio is one of our copies St. Thomas Aquinas’s Summa contra Gentiles. This example is printed in Latin, published in Paris in 1552. The Summa contra Gentiles is different from the Summa Theologiae, as this is more of an apologetics work than a theological guidebook. 24 cm long, 33 cm tall, and 9 cm wide, this is a large item, containing the entire work, although there are a few of the 502 leaves missing. There is no color in this example, just text in double columns with decorative initials. There are several reasons that this example of the Summa contra Gentiles is featured, the first of which being its “outward” focus on the teaching of Christianity to other groups, as opposed to the rigorous “inward” focus of the Summa Theologiae. The second reason for featuring this item is that there is an array of decorations used in the initials, not just one design. The third reason for including this specific copy is that it includes commentary from Franciscus De Sylvestris, a Dominican theologian who was also the Master of the Order from 1525 to 1528.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Parisiis : Apud Ioannem Foucherium, sub scuto Florentiae in via Iacobea

1552

24 cm long, 33 cm tall, and 9 cm wide

Paper

Latin

Gift, Rev. Prof. Edward P. Mahoney ; Nov. 2007.
Includes index.
Colophon: Parisiis : Ex chalcographia Ioannis Sauetier, 1552.

Book