Can Thomas Aquinas save us from (post)modernism? Peter Kreeft and Matthew Barrett

Why does contemporary theology display a historical amnesia towards medieval philosophy? Medieval philosophy is sometimes neglected altogether and where medieval philosophy is discussed today, it is often misunderstood or caricatured in negative ways. One of the more common mischaracterizations is that Thomas Aquinas is a pure rationalist who subverts the Scriptures at the expense of his philosophical musings. Contrary to this narrative, Aquinas was a man who was steeped in the Scriptures. For Thomas, the love of God is more important than the knowledge of God, even though both are absolutes. Theology is even superior to philosophy as it is the highest part of metaphysics. Unfortunately, a major shift took place after Aquinas, a shift that eventually evolved into modernism and postmodernism abandonment of a Christian view of God and his world.

In this episode, Peter Kreeft joins Matthew Barrett in discussing the importance of the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. The pair discuss theology, metaphysics, and the perils of modernism. In doing so, they make the case for why philosophy matters for reason and faith today.

Peter Kreeft is a professor of philosophy at Boston College.  He loves his five grandchildren, four children, one wife, one cat, and one God.  His 95 books include: Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Christianity for Modern Pagans, and Fundamentals of the Faith.

Matthew Barrett is the author of Simply Trinity: The Unmanipulated Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Baker). He is the founder and executive editor of Credo Magazine and host of the Credo podcast. He is associate professor of Christian theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Photo credit: Quan Nguyen, Rising Sun