Catena Aurea, or "Golden Chain," is a unique style of biblical commentary comprised of fragments from other existing commentaries. Aquinas' Gospel of Matthew features the teachings of St. Augustine, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Ambrose, The Venerable St. Bede, and other Church Fathers. Chapter by chapter, Aquinas draws together the biblical reflections of these great historical figures to create a continuous commentary on the Book of Matthew. This eight volume set was commissioned by Pope Urban IV in hopes that it would bring the Church a deeper understand of the early Christian faith. Aquinas' commentaries are excellent resources for biblical study because they contain a wealth of valuable references.
Thomas Aquinas was an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus and Doctor Communis.
He was the foremost classical proponent of natural theology, and the father of the Thomistic school of philosophy and theology. His influence on Western thought is considerable, and much of modern philosophy was conceived as a reaction against, or as an agreement with, his ideas, particularly in the areas of ethics, natural law and political theory.
The philosophy of Aquinas has exerted enormous influence on subsequent Christian theology, especially that of the Roman Catholic Church, extending to Western philosophy in general, where he stands as a vehicle and modifier of Aristotelianism, which he fused with the thought of Augustine.
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