Other articles from this issue | Version in English | Version in French

Aquinas and Maimonides: a book-list
Virginia Sharp

The aim of this brief book-list is to supplement the above articles with further material and to present a selection of writings which will introduce the non-specialist reader to the works and lives of Aquinas and Maimonides.

For a comprehensive view of thought in the Middle Ages, especially for the Christian background, the following studies by F.C. Copleston are useful: History of Philosophy, Volume 2 Medieval Philosophy, Augustus to Scotus, London: Burns Oates and Washbourne 1959, and A History of Medieval Philosophy, London: Methuen 1972 (a revised and enlarged edition of his Medieval Philosophy, 1952), in which he gives a well planned bibliography with both general studies and translations of the texts of the individual philosophers.

Also recommended for an overall view is E. Gilson's La philosophie au moyen-age, Paris: Payot 1952, which includes several chapters on Arab and Jewish philosophy, and M. de Wulf's History of Medieval Philosophy, London: Long-mans, Green and Co. 1909.

English translations of Aquinas's main works include The « Summa Theologica » of Saint Thomas Aquinas, translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province, London: Burns, Oates and Washbourne 1912-1936, in 22 volumes. A new translation with introduction and notes is being published in the Blackfriars edition. For translations of his exposition addressed to non-Christians see Of God and his Creatures, an annotated translation (with some abridgment) of the Summa Contra Gentiles, translated by J. Rickaby, London: Burns and Oates 1905, and On the Truth of the Catholic Faith, translated by A.C. Pegis and others, New York: Doubleday 1955-1957, in five volumes.

Extracts of the texts are given in S. Breton's Saint Thomas d'Aquin, presentation, choix de textes, bibliographie, Paris: Seghers 1965, which includes a well chosen book-list and A. Pegis's The Basic Writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, London: Burns and Oates 1944.

A vast literature exists on Aquinas and it is only possible here to indicate the minimum of titles which might stimulate interest for the general reader. Two of E. Gilson's studies are highly recommended: The Christian Philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquinas, London: Gollancz 1957 and The Spirit of Thomism, New York: Kenedy 1964. In the latter he gives a brief, lucid description of the principles of Thomism and explores the Summa Contra Gentiles.

J. Pieper's Introduction to Thomas Aquinas, London: Faber and Faber 1963, is a concise introduction to the life and works; see also the biographies of G.K. Chesterton, Saint Thomas Aquinas, New York: Doubleday 1933, and J. Maritain, Saint Thomas Aquinas, New York: Meridian 1960.

V. Bourke in his Aquinas' Search for Wisdom, Milwaukee: Bruce Publishing Company 1956, sets Aquinas in the background in which he lived. This is a good introduction for those having some previous philosophical training. Essential for deeper study is M.-D. Chenu's Towards Understanding Saint Thomas, Chicago: Regnery 1964, and the classic work of A.-D. Sertillanges Saint Thomas d'Aquin, 4th edition, Paris: Alcan 1925, in two volumes.

Two short articles are worth mentioning here as they touch on the aspect of Aquinas discussed in this issue, C. Vansteenkiste's « Autori arabi e giudei nell'opera di San Tommaso », Angelicum (Roma) 37, 1960 Fasc. 3-4, pp. 336-401, and W.P. Eckert's « San Tommaso, gli ebrei e l'ebraismo », Bollettino dell'« Amicizia Ebraico-Cristiana » di Firenze, Vol. 1 gen.-feb. 1970, pp. 3-12 (originally published in Freiburger Rundbrief).

In any study of Maimonides and his milieu, the works of Georges Vajda, the French Arabist and Hebraist, are essential. Of particular interest are his Introduction a la pensee juive du moyen age, Paris: Vrin 1947, and L'Amour de Dieu dans la theologie juive du moyen-age, Paris; Vrin 1957. I. Husik in his A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy, Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America 1946, shows the development of Jewish philosophy and its role in the Western tradition, and A. Altmann looks at the influence of Jewish philosophy on Western thought in his article « Judaism and World Philosophy: From Philo to Spinoza » (in E. Finkelstein, ed. The Jews: Their Role in Civilization, New York: Schocken 1971, reprint of 1949 cdition).

E. Rosenthal's Judaism and Islam, London: Yoseloff 1961, presents a readable background to the world in which Maimonides was writing, illustrating that this meeting of Jews and Muslims in the Middle Ages was one of the most significant periods in the growth of Jewish thought and culture.

A comprehensive picture of the development of Jewish philosophy and a feeling for the spirit of Judaism is given by J. B. Agus in Evolution of Jewish Thought, London: Abelard-Schuman 1959, in which he considers « Judaism as the spiritual heart of Western man », and D. Lattes in Aspetti e problemi dell'ebraismo, Torino: Borla 1970.

Maimonides' greatest philosophical work is the Guide for the Perplexed. There are several English translations, for instance The Guide for the Perplexed, translated from the original Arabic text by M. Friedlander, New York: Dover 1956 (reprint of the 1904 edition), and Guide of the Perplexed, translated with introduction and notes by S. Pines, Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1963. The latter includes an introductory essay by L. Strauss on how to begin to study the Guide. An important tool to accompany serious study of the Guide is G. Sermoneta's Un glossario filosofico ebraico-italiano del XIII secolo, Roma: Ateneo 1969.

The Mishneh-Torah is Maimonides' second greatest work. The English translation, appearing in the Yale Judaica Series, is Code of Maimonides, New Haven: Yale University Press 1949- ; each volume of its fourteen books is being translated by a different scholar.

Another major work, the Book of the Commandments, has been translated into English for the first time in its entirety by C. V. Chavel, The Commandments, Sefer-Ha-Mitzvoth of Maimonides, London and New York: Soncino 1967.

In his commentary on the Mishnah, Maimonides distilled the essence of the whole Talmud, and his formulation of the fundamentals of Judaism, the Yigdal (The Thirteen Articles of the Faith), appears in the daily prayer book as part of the morning service (see J. Hertz, The Authorized Daily Prayer Book, New York: Bloch 1948).

There are several anthologies of Maimonides' writings which provide a less intimidating introduction to the texts for the general reader: S. Zac's Maimonide, presentation, choix de textes, hiographie et bibliographie, Paris: Seghers 1965, and H. Serouya's Maimonide, sa vie, son oeuvre, avec un exposé de sa philosophie, Paris: P.U.F. 1964.

Further biographical detail is found in: D. Yellin and I. Abrahams, Maimonides, London: Jewish Historical Society of England 1903, L.-G. Levy, Maimonide, Paris: Alcan 1932, and A. Heschel, Maimonides, Berlin: Reiss 1935. The teachings are summarized in the reprint of the 1927 edition of A. Cohen's The Teachings of Maimonides, New York: Ktav 1968.