Thomas, Democrat

Twice in the opening question of the Summa , Thomas justifies some institution or practice in the church with a reference to the need for saving truth to be communicated to the uneducated many.

Are sacred doctrine, and revelation, necessary? Yes, and partly because “the truth of God such as reason could discover would be known by a few,” an elite with the leisure and training to pursue philosophical contemplation.

Should Scripture use metaphors? Yes, Thomas answers, and partly so that “even the simple who are unable by themselves to grasp intellectual things may be able to understand it.”

Two reflections: First, this ain’t Aristotelian. Second, Thomas, an advocate for the plebs!