On Faith

There are numerous Summas from the thirteenth century, but none quite like Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologiae in simplicity, scope, and rigor of organization. The structure of the Summa may seem complex to those approaching it for the first time, but it is a remarkable feat of clarity in comparison with its predecessors.  In his spare and accessible English translation, Mark D. Jordan captures this clarity in Thomas's discussion of the theological virtue of faith.
 

"By avoiding the obscure Latinate English that plagues other translations and, instead, rendering Thomas into felicitous English with due attention to the sources, Jordan's translation well reflects the accessibility of the original." —Review of Metaphysics  

"Jordan's translation of the treatise on faith meets an important need. . . . The notes and index of authoritative sources . . . help the student appreciate how much Aquinas depended on his theological and cultural forerunners. [Jordan's] brief introduction to each 'key authority': Scripture, Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, Gregory the Great . . . provides the essentials which a beginner in medieval studies requires to read Aquinas's own text intelligently. . . . Those who teach the theological virtues will welcome this volume as a textbook for classroom use." —The Thomist  

Mark D. Jordan is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Christian Thought and Professor of Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality (Faculty of Arts and Sciences) at Harvard's Divinity School. Jordan won the annual Randy Shilts Award for nonfiction for his 2011 book, Recruiting Young Love: How Christians Talk about Homosexuality.