Most works focus on the outlines of Thomism, rather than on its origin, St. Thomas Aquinas. Using the most recent scholarship this work will embed Thomas in the lived context of the thirteenth century. It will approach Thomas as an imperial aristocrat, as a poor mendicant, as a promising student, and as a religious. While Thomas?s brilliance will be clear, it will be contrasted by the massive upheaval brought both by his mendicancy and his adherence to Aristotle in the medieval University. The work will consider Thomas as a man, as a Christian, as a mystic, and as a saint.
