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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The idea of spontaneous generation has been extended to who?

2. Angels appear _______________ in many cases.

3. In what must the exemplar of the order of things towards their end exist?

4. What power must we assign to Him in the highest degree?

5. What is the format designed to suit?

Short Essay Questions

1. How was Aquinas able to write this book successfully?

2. When Aquinas turns to the debate format, what does he assume? What are the consequences of this?

3. What might someone who is not specially educated in the areas of philosophy and theology think of this book?

4. How does Aquinas' education benefit him?

5. What is Aquinas' response about truth?

6. What does Aquinas say about falsity?

7. What does Aquinas say about the First Article: Whether a Name Can be Given to God?

8. What is said in response to the question of whether truth resides only in the intellect?

9. What does Aquinas say to the objections that the will of God must always be fulfilled?

10. Describe the writing of the Summa Theologica.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

St. Thomas Aquinas' work was severely challenged by powerful Arabian philosophy.

Part 1) How did Arabian philosophy become so powerful? Why did it challenge Aquinas' own philosophies?

Part 2) How did Aquinas deal with such challenges to his own philosophies? What aspects about his upbringing and personality aid him in this?

Part 3) What other philosophies and thinkers challenged Aquinas? Why? How does he handle these disagreements in this book? How does this affect the way that he expresses his ideas?

Essay Topic 2

The question is raised whether the intellectual principle is united to the body as it pertains to form.

Part 1) What are the objections given to this? How does Aquinas feel about this question? Why? How does it support and continue his beliefs previously discussed?

Part 2) How might Aquinas' writings about this topic be confusing? How might his writing differ if he lived today? Why?

Part 3) What are your beliefs about the union between the body and soul? How does it compare to Aquinas?

Essay Topic 3

A lot is said about man who is composed of a spiritual and a corporeal substance.

Part 1) What is meant to have spiritual substance and corporeal substance? How is this idea of two substances supported by Aquinas?

Part 2) How does this belief in both substances relate to the soul? How do these substances affect the soul's corruptibility? Why?

Part 3) How might a reader's knowledge today of biology and neuroscience affect one's ability to believe Aquinas' ideas?

(see the answer keys)

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