Thomas Aquinas and the Resurrected Body
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Philosophy & Religious Studies
Faculty Mentor
Peter Judge, Ph.D.
Abstract
There is no doubt that the philosophical work of Plato and his student, Aristotle, are a significant starting point for practically all subsequent philosophers and even theologians. In this paper, I put forth the argument that St. Thomas Aquinas in particular draws on the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle in his explanation of the relationship between the body and the soul and what that relationship implies for bodily resurrection. In order to understand Aquinas’ ideas on the human soul and body, I first examine how the ideas of Plato and Aristotle influenced Christian thought contemporary to Aquinas including an exploration of how consistent those ideas are with biblical teaching. Such an exploration sets the stage for Aquinas’ beliefs on the matter as he draws on these philosophers—especially Aristotle—but in a way that aligns well with scripture that, therefore, made his teachings more concordant with and accepted into Christian thought than Aristotle’s. After examining Aquinas’ insight on the physical and spiritual aspects on life, we might see the connection between his explanation about the afterlife and the Christian hope of bodily resurrection and the completeness of life accomplished by a spiritual body united with the soul.
Course Assignment
RELG 316 – Judge
Previously Presented/Performed?
National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), University of Memphis, April 2017
Start Date
21-4-2017 3:00 PM
Thomas Aquinas and the Resurrected Body
West Center, Room 217
There is no doubt that the philosophical work of Plato and his student, Aristotle, are a significant starting point for practically all subsequent philosophers and even theologians. In this paper, I put forth the argument that St. Thomas Aquinas in particular draws on the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle in his explanation of the relationship between the body and the soul and what that relationship implies for bodily resurrection. In order to understand Aquinas’ ideas on the human soul and body, I first examine how the ideas of Plato and Aristotle influenced Christian thought contemporary to Aquinas including an exploration of how consistent those ideas are with biblical teaching. Such an exploration sets the stage for Aquinas’ beliefs on the matter as he draws on these philosophers—especially Aristotle—but in a way that aligns well with scripture that, therefore, made his teachings more concordant with and accepted into Christian thought than Aristotle’s. After examining Aquinas’ insight on the physical and spiritual aspects on life, we might see the connection between his explanation about the afterlife and the Christian hope of bodily resurrection and the completeness of life accomplished by a spiritual body united with the soul.
