Bernard McGinn is the Naomi Shenstone Donnelley Professor Emeritus of Historical Theology and of the History of Christianity at the Divinity School at the University of Chicago. His many books include Antichrist: Two Thousand Years of the Human Fascination with Evil and The Presence of God, a multivolume history of Western Christian mysticism.

"McGinn marvelously presents the context, content, and impact of the Summa theologiae without overwhelming the reader. The book reads delightfully and would be a wonderful introduction for anyone who is interested in, but perhaps intimidated by, Aquinas's massive work."---Rachel Erdman, Sewanee Theological Review --- "This book is a delight to read. It is genuinely extraordinary how much scholarship McGinn managed to distill into this book, which nonetheless remains utterly readable. McGinn has absorbed the best of research, pondered and expounded it, and contributed to it, in a book that must rank as one of the best introductions to Aquinas available."---Rik Van Nieuwenhove, Horizons --- "A concise yet sweeping introduction to Aquinas's Summa Theologiae. The text successfully weds brevity of content with analytical depth."---Katherine Wrisley Shelby, Religious Studies Review --- "This biography succinctly covers a vast amount of ground, but it is always accessible and readable and often elegant. It would be an excellent introduction for any newcomer curious about Aquinas's reputation, and it is a handy survey for scholars of the field."---Philip L. Reynolds, Journal of Religion --- "A welcome contribution to Princeton's highly regarded Lives of Great Religious Books series, Bernard McGinn's 'biography' of Thomas's masterwork is a deeply impressive book. Learned, judicious, elegant, a model of expositional economy and analytical clarity, it may be the best brief introduction to the production, structure and content, and reception of the Summa theologiae available in English."---Donald Wood, Religion and Theology --- "[E]xcellent and beautifully written. . . . There is a long and complicated story to tell here, one in which both friends and foes of Aquinas feature. But McGinn tells it very well while being brief and to the point, and he manages to do so without having a pro-Aquinas or an anti-Aquinas agenda. The result strikes me as a balanced and non-partisan account of considerable value."---Brian Davies, New Blackfriars --- "McGinn's gift is his effort to bring some of the original warmth back into the Summa, first by making it the subject of a biography, reminding us that this great work has had a life of its own. He also argues that the sacra doctrina at the heart of the Summa is best understood in relation to sapientia, or wisdom."---Alden Lee Bass, Englewood Review of Books --- "Introductions to Aquinas abound, but few manage so succinctly to introduce the reader not only to the person and his work, but also to the enduring influence of Aquinas."---Alban McCoy, Tablet --- "Honorable Mention, 2015 Catholic Press Association Book Award, History Category"