Practical Theology, by Peter Kreeft

Practical Theology: Spiritual Direction from Saint Thomas Aquinas, by Peter Kreeft

Over the years I took a couple stabs at reading St. Thomas Aquinas. The first time I tried reading parts of Summa Theologiae directly, and got nowhere; I didn’t understand much of the technical terminology, and what I did understand I understood only obscurely. Then I heard about a theologian (I can’t recall his name) who had written an “easy-to-understand” commentary of Summa, but I couldn’t understand that, either. But recently a priest friend of mine mentioned Peter Kreeft’s book, and I was able to finally understand a reasonable portion of this great saint’s deeply brilliant commentary on God. I think you will be able to do the same.

Practical Theology is a formidable book, in that it covers over 350 theological issues, every one of which is complex and requires attentive reading to follow the reasoning. However, Kreeft’s approach make things much easier. Every page is devoted to one issue (with a handful of two-page exceptions). He generally begins with a direct quote from Summa, and then explains and expands on it with his own very lucid, very accessible commentary.  Here’s what it looks like:

Why should you bother to read this book? Kreeft gives a very simple and significant reason: to make you a saint, the thing every human being desires and is designed to be.

And I’ll tell you something, this book can really help you become a saint. Certainly Summa is an appeal to reason, but it appeals in a way that stirs your spirit.

What is the nature of God? How do we know that God exists? Why is there evil? Why is there suffering? How can there be a Heaven? Why is sin real? What are the consequences of sin? How do I know what God wants of me? How do I balance justice and mercy? What actually is pride and why is it so bad? Why should we love bad people? What does it mean to “hate sin but love the sinner?” Is Christ really present in the Eucharist, and how could we possibly know this? Why is it logically necessary for there to be a hell? What difference does it make whether we confess our sins? If Christ is all-powerful, how could He suffer, and why did He subject Himself to suffering? How exactly can prayer accomplish anything? If God already knows what is going to happen, how can our prayers change or influence the future?  How can I become truly joyful?  How can Jesus give me comfort and confidence and strength?

Saint Thomas provides answers to these questions and hundreds more, answers that have that stood the test of time for 800 years. Nothing he wrote is contradicted by modern science or satisfactorily refuted by subsequent theological and philosophical thought. Whether you are a believer or not, it is profitable to learn about the theological and philosophical basis for Catholic belief. At worst it will make you better understand things that seem hard or impossible to accept on the surface. Much better, it will bring you closer to Christ, your neighbor, and yourself.