Writings on Church and Reform (I Tatti Renaissance Library) Book

I read this as part of a project to familiarize myself with some of the fundamental works of medieval literature and scholarship. I was not disappointed. While the unabridged Summa is rather daunting unless you know precisely which chapters to seek out, this Shorter Summa is eminently approachable, both as a student of history, and, I think, as a student of theology or ordinary Christian. I actually use my notes from this work as a short-form guide to the unabridged Summa, reminding me where to look for various topics.

Aquinas' work is monumental and yet to be surpassed, because it came at the culmination of scholasticism and before the Papal schism and Protestant reformation that tore the Church apart and shaped the thoughts of later theologians. While in late life, St. Thomas is said to have in some way rejected his own scholarly approach to his faith in favor of some true experience of the divine (Martin Luther would have been thrilled), the work still stands as one of the best expositions of Catholic doctrine for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of theology.