Olivier-Thomas Venard's Thomas d'Aquin poète théologien trilogy, an in depth analysis of the scripture of St. Thomas Aquinas, is translated for a new audience in this streamlined anthology. Featuring selections from all three books in the trilogy, chosen in accordance with Venard's direction and discernment, it introduces not only arguments pertinent to the theme of this volume, but an invitation to explore the full breadth of Venard's work.Concentrating on the subjects of scripture, theology and literature, language as a theological question and the word of God, Murphy and Oakes capture the scope and energy of Venard's trilogy while collating many of its key passages. Ranging from the themes of a poetic gospel and Christology to the Thomist theories of semiology and the metaphysics of the Word, this volume sets scholars on the path to a deeper understanding of Aquinas's systematic theology.

Author's AcknowledgmentsTranslators' AcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsForeword - Cyril O'Regan, University of Notre Dame, USATranslators' PrefaceI. Scripture1. A Poetic Gospel? 2. Towards a Poetic Christology II. Theology and Literature3. 'I am not a writer': Is There a Literary Vocation?4. 'To Contemplate and to Hand On': The Literary Drama of the Theologian's Vocation5. The Idea and Poetics of the Summa theologiae 6. Language That Wanted to Make Itself as Strong as the Word 7. In Search of the Lost Word III. Language as a Theological Question 8. Little Thomasian Semiology 9. A Thomist Response: The Metaphysics of the Word10. The Existence of Language as a Theological Question IV. Word, Cross, Eucharist 11. The Cross of Jesus, the Summit of the Word of God 12. The Cross of Jesus, Source of Theological Speech 13. The Eucharist, the Exercise in Adoration - Glosses on 'Adoro Te'V. Conclusion 14. 'The Hour Comes and Has Come...' AppendixBibliographyIndex of Names