Commentary on Thomas Aquinas's Treatise on Divine Law

Thomas Aquinas's classic Treatise on Divine Law is brought to life in this illuminating line-by-line commentary, which acts as a sequel to Budziszewski's Commentary on Thomas Aquinas's Treatise on Law. In this new work, Budziszewski reinvestigates the theory of divine law in Aquinas's Summa Theologiae, exploring questions concerning faith and reason, natural law and revelation, the organization of human society, and the ultimate destiny of human life. This interdisciplinary text includes thorough explanations, applications to life, and ancillary discussions that open up Aquinas's dense body of work, which tends to demand a great deal from readers. More than a half-century has passed since the last commentary on Thomas Aquinas's view of these matters. Budziszewski fills this gap with his consideration of not only the medieval text under examination, but also its immediate relevance to contemporary thought and issues of the modern world. Review 'This commentary on Aquinas's treatise on the Divine Law is a worthy and, indeed, indispensable sequel to the author's prequel, his successful commentary on Aquinas's Treatise on Law, in which the focus was law in general, eternal law, natural law, and human law. The sequel expands into a lucid treatment of the revealed divine law, old and new, in all its complexity. Directed primarily at those who study this demanding and difficult treatise for the first time but also instructive for the seasoned scholar, Budziszewski offers the first English-speaking commentary on the divine law in more than one generation. Clearly organized and lucidly written, this is an invaluable resource for every student of Thomas Aquinas, especially neophytes to Aquinas's thought, be they seminarians, undergraduate and graduate students, or the proverbial layperson who is looking for a reliable guide into Aquinas's teaching on the divine law.' Reinhard Huetter, Ordinarius Academician of the Pontifical Academy of St Thomas Aquinas'Having already provided us with a complete commentary on Aquinas' treatise on natural law, J. Budziszewski here adjoins an accessible and nuanced analysis of Aquinas on the Old and New Law. The author directly engages with contemporary questions regarding the reasonableness of biblical revelation, its historical situatedness, the intellectual viability of its claims to uniqueness, and the challenges of its contemporary interpretation. In the spirit of St Thomas this is an impressive work of both reason and faith, philosophy and theology, one that contributes substantively to the Thomistic commentarial tradition. It serves as an important testimony to a culture of universal ethics that simultaneously bears the marks of a Christian conception of love.' Thomas Joseph White, Thomistic Institute'J. Budziszewski's Commentary on Thomas Aquinas's Treatise on Divine Law contains the best available commentary and introduction to this section of Summa theologiae. Budziszewski masterfully glosses Aquinas with insights that seasoned scholars will appreciate and a clarity that readers new to Thomas will cherish. If you want to understand what Thomas taught about divine law, you need to read this book.' Christopher Kaczor, Loyola Marymount University'J. Budziszewski's Commentary is an impressive achievement! It belongs on the shelf of every serious reader of Aquinas's treatment of law, politics, and justice. He has brought back a classic form of Thomistic scholarship – the commentary on Aquinas's Summa Theologiae – but with a thoroughly contemporary twist. He brings alive the issues at stake in Aquinas's texts, with an admirable clarity of exposition. It is both accessible to a newcomer and offers fresh insights to experts.' Dominic Legge, Thomistic Institute and the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception'This brilliant commentary will be extraordinarily helpful not only to students, but to scholars – even seasoned readers of Aquinas who imagine that they alr