How to Actually and Successfully Read the Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas

Nutshell answer: First time through, skip the objections and the replies to the objections. The objections and replies can be picked up later.

In my opinion, the Summa is 95% easier to read this way. Second time through, just read the objections and the replies to the objections. No problem.

Searching the internet for Summan Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas will yield for the searcher many free online copies of the work. NewAdvent.org is a wonderful Catholic website that posts the Summa.

Why do Catholics want to read this book? St. Thomas Aquinas is a Doctor of the Catholic Church, which means his teaching on Catholic matters is reliable. To quote Wikipedia: "In his encyclical of 4 August 1879, Aeterni Patris, Pope Leo XIII stated that Thomas Aquinas's theology was a definitive exposition of Catholic doctrine. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Aquinas)" The Catholic Encyclopedia has this to say about the Summa Theologica (which means Summary of Theology): "This work immortalized St. Thomas. The author himself modestly considered it simply a manual of Christian doctrine for the use of students. (https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14663b.htm)"

The Catholic Encyclopedia goes on to say: "The entire "Summa" contains 38 Treatises, 612 Questions, subdivided into 3120 articles, in which about 10,000 objections are proposed and answered. (ibid.)"

Reading the Summa is basically reading these 3120 articles. Each article is in this form:

1. The title of each article is in the form of a question.
2. Objections to the correct answer are then stated.
3. The correct answer is stated.
4. The correct argument, which proves the correct answer, is given.
5. Replies to the objections are given.

Dear reader, these approx. 10,00 objections and replies, in my opinion, make up about 50% of the Summa, but unless read in isolation, they make, for most readers, getting through the Summa like swimming in molasses. Follow my nutshell answer, and you will be able to actually and successfully read the Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas.