Cursus Theologicus
The work of John Poinsot, also known as Joannes a Sancto Thoma (though as John Deely noted, his name has often been given in many other variations, across English, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, French, and Latin), has long been the victim of great neglect. His Cursus Philosophicus was critically-edited and published in the 1930s under the blessed endeavor of Beatus Reiser, O.S.B., and reprinted in 2008 by Olms Verlag. Currently, his Cursus Theologicus is undergoing a similar critical evaluation and re-publication.
Though the facsimile reprint volumes here are taken from the non-critical and therefore somewhat unreliable Latin text Vives edition of the 1880s, they are presented in full and affordably. The far superior critical Solesmes edition has thus far reached only the fifth volume (in 2015) and sits outside the price-range of many.
However, in the meantime and in an effort to promote the study and understanding of Poinsot, these ten volumes (the tenth being the index to the whole series) are presented as-is, in a reasonably durable, reasonably affordable set. All the volumes are entirely in Latin. Note that only the first four volumes were completed in Poinsot’s lifetime. The rest were compiled and edited by followers of his posthumously after his sudden death in 1644, drawing from notes he had left behind.
The total cost for all 15 printed volumes (10 tomes), before tax, is $261. They are also available here to download free in PDF. Please consider donating if you do! (If anyone tried downloading before, I had uploaded the wrong Zip file! Apologies! Corrected now.)
Brief Table of Contents
- Tomus Primus – Summary of the Sentences of Peter Lombard; introduction to and approbation of St. Thomas; Sacred Theology; God’s existence and nature.
- Tomus Secundus – Attributes of God; the Work of the Six Days.
- Tomus Tertius – I – The Ideas, Truth, Life, and Will of God.
- Tomus Tertius – II – God’s Love, Justice, Mercy, Providence, etc.
- Tomus Quartus – I – Mystery of the Sacred Trinity; Creation.
- Tomus Quartus – II – Treatise on the Angels.
- Tomus Quintus – I – Ultimate End of Humans; Human Acts.
- Tomus Quintus – II – Human Acts; their Goodness and Evil.
- Tomus Sextus – I – Good and Evil of Human Acts; Passions, Habits, Virtues.
- Tomus Sextus – II – Effects of the Holy Spirit, Grace, Justification.
- Tomus Septimus – I – Faith, Hope, Charity, Authority of the Pope; Homicide.
- Tomus Septimus – II – Irregularity; Religion, Devotion, Prayer, Miscellaeny.
- Tomus Octavus – The Incarnation.
- Tomus Nonus – Sacraments in general; the Eucharist; Penance.
- Tomus Decimus – Indices.
cursus theologicus – complete volumes
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS PRIMUS
In this first volume of his Cursus Theologicus, John Poinsot summarizes the four books of Peter Lombard’s Sentences, gives an introduction to the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, explains the connection and order of the whole Summa Theologiae, provides a treatise lauding and defending the authoritative teaching of St. Thomas, and exposits the first seven questions of the Prima Pars of the Summa Theologiae.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS SECUNDUS
In the second volume of his Cursus Theologicus, Poinsot continues his commentary on the treatise concerning the divine nature, from question eight through fourteen, before turning to the work of the six days of creation, in questions sixty-five through seventy-four, all of the Prima Pars in the Summa Theologiae.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS TERTIUS I
In the first of two parts in volume three of his Cursus Theologicus, Poinsot discusses the ideas of God, truth and falsity with respect to Him, and pursues the questions of God’s life and will. Here he follows and exposits the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologiae Prima Pars.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS TERTIUS II
In the concluding part of volume three in his Cursus Theologicus, Poinsot discusses many more topics concerning God: His love, justice and mercy, providence, potency, and beatitude. He also takes up here the questions of predestination—not only expositing St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae Prima Pars, but responding also to a pressing concern of his own age.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS QUARTUS I
In this, the first part of the fourth volume in his Cursus Theologicus, Poinsot provides two treatises commenting upon the Prima Pars of the Summa Theologiae: first concerning the mystery of the sacred trinity, and second, concerning creation.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS QUARTUS II
In this, the second part of the fourth volume in his Cursus Theologicus, Poinsot delivers a thorough treatise concerning the angels, commenting upon the corresponding part in the Prima Pars of the Summa Theologiae.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS QUINTUS I
This, the first of two volumes in the fifth tome of Poinsot’s Cursus Theologicus, covers the first nine questions in the Prima Secundae of Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae, comprising the treatise on the ultimate end for human beings, and the beginning of the treatise on human acts.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS QUINTUS II
The second of two volumes in the fifth tome of Poinsot’s Cursus Theologicus, this volume completes the treatise on human action and considers the goodness and evil of human acts, continuing to build our understanding of the Prima Secundae in Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS SEXTUS I
The first of two parts in volume six of his Cursus Theologicus, here Poinsot completes his discussion of the goodness and evil of human acts and takes up also the passions, habits, and virtues, expounding upon the insights of St. Thomas Aquinas in his Prima Secundae of the Summa Theologiae.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS SEXTUS II
In this, the second of two parts in volume six of his Cursus Theologicus, Poinsot continues examining and expositing the Prima Secundae of Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae, taking up the topics of gifts, blessings, and fruits of the Holy Spirit, before turning to grace and justification.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS SEPTIMUS I
Here, in the first of two parts in the seventh volume of his Cursus Theologicus, and acting as commentary upon the Secunda Secundae of Aquinas’ Summa Theologia, Poinsot treats of faith, hope, charity, the authority of the pope, and dedicates a question specifically to homicide.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS SEPTIMUS II
In the second of two parts in volume seven of the Cursus Theologicus, John Poinsot discusses canonical impediments to holy orders (irregularity), the nature of religion, devotion, prayer, and various other questions pertaining to the conduct of spiritual life, following prompts from the Secunda Secundae of Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS OCTAVUS
In this eighth volume of his Cursus Theologicus, Poinsot takes up commentary on the Tertia Pars of Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae, discussing the many nuances which follow upon the Incarnation.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS NONUS
In this, the final substantive volume of the Cursus Theologicus, Poinsot completes his consideration of the Tertia Pars of Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae, with treatises concerning the sacraments in general, the sacrifice of the mass, the Eucharist, and of penance.
CURSUS THEOLOGICUS – TOMUS DECIMUS
This volume contains an invaluable set of indices to all ten tomes, including all citations of Sacred Scripture sorted by book, and a general, analytic index sorted alphabetically.
Sample Views
Video: https://twitter.com/LyceumInstitute/status/1672792840538054656/video/1
Tomus Tertius I & II seem to be missing from the PDF set. Is there a way I can get a copy of the PDF for these two volumes?
Thank you for bringing it to our attention! The Zip file has been updated with the correct PDFs.