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Catena Aurea

Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274) was one of the greatest theologians of the Middle Ages. He spent much of his childhood in the monastery of Monte Cassino before studying at the University of Naples. As a young man, he entered the Dominican order, and studied both at Cologne and the University of Paris with Albert the Great. He became a teacher and master of theology at the University of Paris, followed by teaching in Italy, a second term at Paris, and at Naples. His illustrious career included time spent at the papal court, and involvement in the development of education throughout the Dominican order.

    Thomas' achievement, in the Scholastic tradition, was a superlative synthesis of Greek philosophy (especially Aristotle) and Christian teaching. He lectured and wrote commentaries on the Scriptures, the Sentences of Peter Lombard, Aristotle and other philosophers. His two greatest works are systematic theologies: the Summa Contra Gentiles and the Summa Theologiae.

"Golden Chain": a scholastic Commentary on the Gospels (Matthew-Mark), a collection of exposition from various Church Fathers.

The Catena Aurea ("Golden Chain") is a scholastic Commentary on the Gospels, a collection of exposition from various authors -- in this case Fathers and Theologians of the Church. As in many of his writings, Thomas assembles excerpts from a wide range of sources available to him at the time, citing Augustine, Jerome, Chrysostom, Hilary of Poitiers, the Glossa Ordinaria, and many others. This work was written some time between 1259 and 1268, when Thomas was teaching in Italy.

Commentaries

Gospels