Laurea in Arti Liberali

The liberal arts are not the only or even the most important part of liberal education, but they are fundamental. Only thinking which is disciplined, vigorous, and animated by wonder produces knowledge and wisdom.

The highest philosophy is the study of being itself and of the Supreme Being; in this science, reason explores, among other things, what can be known naturally about God. As St. Thomas observed, “almost all of philosophy is directed toward the knowledge of God, and that is why metaphysics, which deals with divine things, is the last part of philosophy to be learned.” This “natural theology” leads, in turn, to the science of theology, which proceeds rationally from revealed principles and illuminates the mind about the truths of Faith. Thus, the entire curriculum at Thomas Aquinas College is ordered to theology, and especially to the works of the Church’s “Universal Doctor," Thomas Aquinas. Similarly, all of St. Thomas’s theology aims ultimately at the highest object of contemplation, the Holy Trinity, the study of which is among the last to be taken up by students at the College.

Founded when many Catholic institutions were straying from their loyalty to the teaching Church, Thomas Aquinas College would, by contrast, strive for fidelity to the Magisterium. In place of the burgeoning multiplicity of majors, minors, and electives elsewhere, it would offer a single, integrated curriculum employing the liberal arts and sciences in the pursuit of truth and wisdom.

Thomas Aquinas College stands as a witness to its founders’ faith and diligence. The College’s ranks have swelled to more than 400 students, and a roster of distinguished faculty has expanded accordingly. While holding to its founding vision, the College has earned a national reputation for academic and spiritual vigor, becoming a model for the many new, faithful Catholic schools that have followed. Through God’s grace, it has also graduated generations of alumni who have gone on to serve the Church and society in myriad ways faithfully.