St. Thomas Aquinas: “The Dumb Ox”

By Gilbert K. Chesterton

“As all of his controversies prove, he was perhaps a perfect example of the iron hand in the velvet glove. He was a man who always turned his full attention to anything; and he seems to fix even passing things as they pass. To him even what was momentary was momentous”(103).

Gilbert Keith Chesterton’s book, St. Thomas Aquinas: “The Dumb Ox,” is principally a philosophical work by a man who insisted on his ignorance of philosophy (Dale Ahlquist). Chesterton’s short semi-biography encompasses the larger-than-life figure of the ‘Angelic Doctor’ by means of exploring the saint’s origins, philosophical journeying’s and influences, as well as his towering intellect. Between these noteworthy achievements, the reader is treated to various side plots, if you will, including a humorous comparison of the ‘Two Friars’ (Saints Thomas and Francis of Assisi), St. Thomas versus the Manichees, and even a brief treatment of the historical figure, Martin Luther. As with all subjects, Chesterton approaches the broad topic (St Thomas himself) with wit, reverence, and profundity of thought.

An especial note of interest in St. Thomas Aquinas is Chesterton’s motive for writing it. Chesterton used his unique and common-sense approach to straightforwardly yet briefly analyze St. Thomas’ scholastic philosophy; something that (especially at Chesterton’s time) was not common and certainly not considered sensible. Thus, a part of the reason for his writing this ‘sketch’ (as he described it) was to increase peoples’ awareness of a saint who had not only massively contributed to the Church and firmly cemented the various medieval debates concerning the timeless elements of faith and reason, but had instigated the ‘Aristotelian Revolution.’ Indeed, Chesterton desired to increase knowledge of the holy giant who for centuries had been left to oblivion after his works were publicly burned by Martin Luther during the Reformation. For Luther, who “opened an epoch…and began the modern world,” did so by striving to suffocate Classical thought, Thomism and scholasticism in flames (Chesterton, 107). Although Luther succeeded for a time, the twentieth century saw the beginnings of a comeback of Thomism, a movement Chesterton contributed to with his book St. Thomas Aquinas: “The Dumb Ox.” Chesterton wrote:

And yet this small book, which will probably do nothing else, or have very little other value, will be at least a testimony to the fact that the tide has turned once more. It is four hundred years after; and this book, I hope (and I am happy to say I believe) will probably be lost and forgotten in the flood of better books about St. Thomas Aquinas, which are at this moment pouring from every printing press (109).

Thus we see Chesterton’s motivation for writing this book was to further the renewal of Thomism and ultimately make his ‘hero’ better known and loved to the people of his era as well as our own.

Ordinarily, one would not associate the elevated thought of St. Thomas as that which would be of much interest for the layman, as the monk’s work focused primarily on Church teaching and theological matters under the auspices of philosophical thought. This reasoning is what makes the perspective of Chesterton, a layman, so interesting. Chesterton, however, did not see the matter in this light. On the contrary, he argues in his book that the philosophy of St. Thomas is in reality closer to that of common men or “the man on the street” than most philosophies (79). This is all the more interesting as the more modern philosophies claimed to be more attuned with the condition of the everyday man. Chesterton’s view is additionally exceptional in that he comments upon the humor and wittiness of St. Thomas Aquinas. This facet of the ‘Angelic Doctor’ is one I personally had never before encountered but which endeared the saint all the more to me. I will, however, leave the reader to encounter this facet of St. Thomas Aquinas, as revealed by Chesterton, for himself in order to fully enjoy it in its entirety.

One of the many things I found particularly enlightening in the pages of St. Thomas Aquinas was not only Chesterton’s incorporation of the popular legends of the ‘Dumb Ox’ with which we are familiar, but his explanation and analysis of them in regards to the later life of St. Thomas. For instance, Chesterton vividly describes the wealthy, noble and indeed kingly background of the Aquinas family, all of which St. Thomas forsook in his ambition to be a beggar in the fledgling Dominican Order of Preachers. In retelling of the story of St. Thomas’ kidnapping, imprisonment, and the attempted attack on his purity at the hands of his brothers on the cusp of St. Thomas’ vocation, Chesterton provides us with new and fresh insight. Upon the entrance of a woman into his cell, (sent by his brothers in an attempt to insult and mitigate his purity), Chesterton recounts how the saint of purity sprang up and “snatched a brand out of the fires, and stood brandishing it like a flaming sword” whereupon she fled in terror. St. Thomas then barred the door, took the fiery brand and branded the sign of the cross on the great door. Then, states Chesterton, “he returned, and dropped it again into the fire; and sat down on that seat of sedentary scholarship, that chair of philosophy, that secret throne of contemplation, from which he never rose again” (32). As can be thus perceived, Chesterton takes this extraordinary event in the life of St. Thomas Aquinas, and neatly incorporates into it the connection and impact it made in the later life of the saint.

As I have hitherto focused on my positive opinion of St. Thomas Aquinas: “The Dumb Ox,” I shall now address the difficulties I had with it. First, the elevated philosophy of St. Thomas was at times hard to follow, and secondly the book was too short! Although I struggled in fully comprehending the Thomistic thought as described by Chesterton, a philosophically inclined reader would not have. I was, however, ultimately able to grasp it due to the author’s fine explanation and outline. St. Thomas Aquinas is definitely the kind of book which one revisits and gains something new each time, however much the average reader may flounder initially. As with all Chestertonian literature, St. Thomas Aquinas himself, and especially his thought, is succinctly and cleverly unpacked and revealed to the attuned reader, who is simultaneously delighted and challenged to think.

In short, Chesterton’s St. Thomas Aquinas: “The Dumb Ox,” is a remarkable work on a remarkable saint, by a remarkable man. It definitely achieves its purpose of wetting the reader’s appetite to learn even more about the great saint and doctor of the Church. It deftly explores the life and thought of the humble leader of the ‘Aristotelian Revolution’ and author of the great work, the Summa Theologica. Yet it also brings this great mind to our level and, in a way, humanizes the great saint of students and chastity. Written only three years previous to his death, the book additionally demonstrates the greatness and high level of thought of Chesterton who claimed St. Thomas to be (in an article that would herald this book-here) one of the three greatest men to have ever lived, if not the greatest (Chesterton). As this book sketches the life and philosophy of so great an intellectual and saint, I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Works Cited

            Ahlquist, Dale. “A New Book From…Fulton Sheen.” The Distributist Review. 27 November 2017. Web. <distributistreview.com/new-book-fulton-sheen/.>

            Chesterton, Gilbert K. _St. Thomas Aquinas: "The Dumb Ox"_. Lexington, KY: ReadaClassic.com, 1933. Print.

            Domenico Ghirlandaio. Madonna and Child Enthroned between Angels and Saints. Painting. <laydominicanscambridge.blogspot.com/2014/01/feast-of-st-thomas-aquinas-dominican.html.>