Summa Contra Gentiles [Systematic exposition against non-Christians]. Translation by Joseph Ciantes

AQUINAS, THOMAS

Jacobi Phaei Andreae

Rome

1657

FIRST EDITION IN HEBREW. Three books in one. Title in Latin and Hebrew. Latin and Hebrew translation face-à-face

RARE HEBREW TRANSLATION OF THOMAS AQUINAS’ WORK Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), was one of the most important Christian philosophers of the medieval age. He is most famous for his magnum opus, Summa Theologica which gives a systematic exposition of his philosophy. In this less known work, Summa Contra Gentiles, Aquinas once again deals with such basic issues as the incorporeity of God, free will, Providence, etc. In the Latin original there is a fourth book not included in our Latin-Hebrew edition. (See EJ, Vol. III, col. 229-231). The translator, Joseph Ciantes, a Dominican friar and student of Oriental languages, was appointed by Pope Urban II to preach to the Jews of Rome, who were periodically subjected to conversionary sermons. NUC notes only two copies of the present work, located in Columbia University and Immaculate Conception Convent Library, Washington, D.C. Not in the British Library