Gary Gutting, a frequent contributor to Commonweal, was John A. O’Brien Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. His most recent book was Talking God: Philosophers on Belief (Norton).
The move to less philosophy is a mistake. Philosophy is utterly essential for an educated Catholic; pedagogically, anything less than two courses is inadequate.
“New atheists” like Richard Dawkins have made a splash with aggressive attacks on religion. But Michael Ruse, philosopher and reflective atheist, is not impressed.
There are three key doctrines where Aquinas’s arguments lead to perplexing conclusions: immortality, creation, and the nature of God as both one and triune.
