Questions and Answers: Aquinas for Everyone: 65 Questions Answered Imaginatively by Aquinas offers readers a way to ease into the writings of one of the great Doctors of the Church. Jesuit Fr. Jules M. Brady, SJ introduces the reader in a novel way to the thoughts and reflections of St. Thomas Aquinas. The answers to the questions begin with a theological or philosophical question and are answered by grounding the question in a concrete image for easier understanding. There are some very deep questions that the author and the saint tackle in this small book, including: "Is the proposition 'God is' self-evident?"; "Is the human soul joined to the body by an intermediate body?"; "Is lack of cheerfulness in a human person morally evil?"; "Can we have charity without faith and hope?", and many others. Clear and understandable, the question-and-answer format allows for scanning of pertinent questions or novelized reading. --Crux of the News, April 19, 2005

Have you ever asked yourself: "Is lack of cheerfulness in a person morally evil?" Well, St. Thomas Aquinas has the answer for you. Jesuit Fr. Jules M. Brady, a retired philosophy professor from Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO, has put together Aquinas for Everyone, a brief collection of questions and answers culled from the Summa Theologiae, the Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard and other writings of the Angelic Doctor. The little book starts off with a bio of Thomas Aquinas and a short introduction explaining certain principles of the saint's thought and some issues regarding translation. The questions are organized under two headings. Look under "Philosophy" to find out his answers to "Does God exist?" "Does evil that arises in the world contradict divine providence?" and "Does a human person seeking knowledge experience an internal conflict?" The "Theology" section includes: "Does happiness require the companionship of friends?" and "Since it is impossible to turn to God without grace, can anyone be held accountable for not turning to God?" Fr. Brady writes, "The reader should study each selection in this book in the way that an art connoisseur scrutinizes a famous painting." His book is an engaging introduction to the mind of this brilliant Dominican who spent his life probing the mysteries ofGod. --National Catholic Reporter, August 26, 2005

Jules Brady recently retired as professor of philosophy at Rockhurst University in Kansas City. He now resides at the Jesuit Community residence at Saint Louis University. His earlier works include Newman for Everyone (1996) and Augustine for Everyone (2002). This book on St. Thomas Aquinas presents 39 questions on philosophy and 26 questions on theology. It begins with a summary of Thomas's life and work and presents answers to the questions in English translations taken from 10 of St. Thomas's works. The translations are "clear... [and] aim at reproducing the beauty of the original Latin quotations." --Theology Digest Book Survey, Vol. 51 #4, Winter 2004