The Summa Illuminated
A Guide to St. Thomas Aquinas's Masterpiece
by Cajetan Cuddy, OP
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Pub Date 23 Jan 2026 | Archive Date Not set
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Description
“This book is the ordinary reader’s clearest introduction to the Summa Theologica. It illuminates the obscure and enlivens the dispassionate arguments of St. Thomas Aquinas. Everyone should be reading St. Thomas, and I can’t imagine a better guide than Fr. Cajetan Cuddy.”
—Scott Hahn
The Summa Illuminated offers a clear and concise introduction to one of the most influential theological masterpieces in history: the Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225–1274). As interest in Aquinas’s teachings continues to grow, many are especially drawn to his Summa Theologica—yet navigating its profound depth and intricate complexity can feel overwhelming without proper guidance.
In The Summa Illuminated, Fr. Cajetan Cuddy, OP, premier expert on both the Summa and the philosophy and theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, provides readers with a concise and approachable overview. This book serves as a guided tour of the Summa, carefully laying out its structure, explaining its key concepts, and clarifying Aquinas’s overarching purpose. Following the structure of the Summa itself, this book captures the significance of each part and illustrates how they form a unified whole while explaining the terminology and principles that Aquinas presupposed his audience to possess.
Fr. Cuddy guides the reader through the significant themes of the Summa’s three parts:
•Part I: God and Creation
•Part II: The Human Person’s Movement to God—Law, Grace, and Virtues
•Part III: Jesus Christ and the Sacraments
The Summa Illuminated equips readers with the essential knowledge to confidently engage with Aquinas’s great work. By the end, readers will have a firm grasp of the most important ideas in the greatest theological text of the Catholic intellectual tradition.
Advance Praise
“This book is the ordinary reader’s clearest introduction to the Summa Theologica. It illuminates the obscure and enlivens the dispassionate arguments of St. Thomas Aquinas. You’ll not only get Thomas’s point; you’ll know why it’s important. The Summa is a book that can change your mind and your life for the better. The Summa Illuminated is the book that will make your reading possible and enjoyable. Everyone should be reading St. Thomas, and I can’t imagine a better guide to his work than Fr. Cajetan Cuddy.”
Scott Hahn
Catholic author and theologian
“The Summa Illuminated offers a clear, straightforward road map to first-time readers of Aquinas’s most famous and enduringly influential work. Fr. Cuddy’s short summaries of the main themes in each group of questions are helpful in orienting the reader to the basics of Aquinas’s system. This is certainly a book you want by your side as you begin to explore the wonderful world of the Summa Theologica.”
Thérèse Scarpelli Cory
Associate professor of Thomistic studies at the University of Notre Dame
“The Summa Illuminated gives invaluable assistance to those who want to know the thought of St. Thomas but are stymied by unfamiliar vocabulary and procedure. Fr. Cuddy has provided a way for the ‘educated nonexpert’ to acquire the treasures of the Summa.”
Laura Berquist
Founder of Mother of Divine Grace School
“Fr. Cajetan Cuddy’s The Summa Illuminated offers a penetrating and accessible overview of Aquinas’s Summa, presenting its overarching structure and key questions with clarity. The final section on the sacraments is especially rich, inviting deeper reflection and union with Jesus Christ.”
Austin Habash
Host of the Summa in a Year podcast
“In my study of St. Thomas Aquinas, I have learned such a great deal from Fr. Cajetan Cuddy. His sober appreciation for the most pertinent principles and his great facility in theological discourse make him an excellent teacher and guide. The Summa Illuminated will certainly prove of great service to all with an appetite for wisdom.”
Fr. Gregory Pine, OP
Assistant director of the Thomistic Institute
“To the newcomer, the Summa Theologica can be daunting, mysterious, puzzling. In The Summa Illuminated, Fr. Cuddy aims to make Aquinas’s theological masterpiece more readily accessible. Fr. Cuddy succeeds in his task. Writing in a straightforward, unaffected style, he lays bare the Summa’s structure and purpose and the driving concerns of its main parts. The Summa Illuminated is a reliable guide, one that will go a long way to making engagement with arguably the greatest presentation and investigation of the Catholic faith even more fruitful and rewarding.”
Joseph Wawrykow
Professor emeritus of theology at the University of Notre Dame and author of The Westminster Handbook to Thomas Aquinas
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781646803934 |
| PRICE | US$22.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 224 |