Talking St. Thomas Aquinas

Happy Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas! While he is a highly praised and well-known Saint in Catholic history, largely for his contributions to philosophy and theology, there are still some surprising things about him that might interest you. 

1. St. Thomas believed in tele-kinesis?

St. Thomas Aquinas of all people recognized the power of God and the power of our own minds, but did he believe in parapsychology? Jimmy Akin, a para-psychologist, philosopher and Catholic, answers this in a short video from a longer interview with Matt Fradd below. He also spends a lot of time on this topic on his own show, Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World, episode 105 and episode 106.

2. St. Thomas was afraid of lightning?

There are numerous references online to Aquinas having a fear of thunderstorms. They all point to the cause being from childhood, when his sister was reportedly struck by lightning. Many of these references also say that he would seek shelter in churches doing thunderstorms, so if he was afraid of lightning, he had the right response by finding comfort in the presence of God!

3. St. Thomas spoke to a ghost?

There are two powerful stories of Aquinas being visited by his close friends and family after they died. The first, his Dominican Brother Romanus and the second, his sister. Both of these stories, as well as Aquinas’s thoughts on ghosts, can be found in this great article.

4. St. Thomas really remembered everything?

Okay, maybe not everything. However, you can find a lot of sources that talk about the incredible memory of St. Thomas Aquinas. But how does one build up their own memory? Here are a couple of good articles that lay out the theory and process of exactly how Aquinas did it, and how he recommends we can do it too!

5. St. Thomas talks with Joe Rogan?

Okay, this last one is not entirely real, but I was playing around with ChatGPT the other day and, partially inspired by the popular podcast, Pints with Aquinas, I wondered, “What would Aquinas say on a real podcast, maybe the most popular podcast, if he had the chance?” I asked ChatGPT to create a short conversation and, it kinda nailed it? A little bit…check it out below: 

Joe Rogan: “Welcome to the podcast, Thomas. First off, how’s it feel to be here, centuries ahead of your time?”

St. Thomas Aquinas: “Gratitude, Joe. Though I must say, this environment is quite different from the monasteries I knew. Your tools of communication are most fascinating.”

Joe Rogan: “Yeah, podcasts are kinda like the modern public square. So, you’re known for your Summa Theologica. How did you come up with such a dense, philosophical framework? Were you just sitting around thinking about God all day?”

St. Thomas Aquinas: “Not quite, Joe. My framework arose from harmonizing reason and revelation. I studied the works of Aristotle, Scripture, and the Church Fathers, synthesizing them to explore divine truths and human purpose.”

Joe Rogan: “Interesting. So, would you say your ideas were, like, the OG self-help guides, but focused on God?”

St. Thomas Aquinas: “In a sense. My aim was to guide souls toward the ultimate good—union with God—through understanding virtue, ethics, and the purpose of life. Self-help, as you call it, must always align with eternal truths.”

Joe Rogan: “Deep stuff. But what about the big one—proof of God’s existence? You had five ways, right?”

St. Thomas Aquinas: “Indeed. Each way uses reason to discern the necessity of a First Cause or Prime Mover, among other attributes of the divine. It is a path accessible to any rational mind.”

Joe Rogan: “Okay, but what if someone argues, ‘Science explains everything now’? Where does God fit in?”

St. Thomas Aquinas: “Science unveils the workings of creation, but it cannot answer why creation exists at all. God is the ultimate cause, not merely within the natural order but transcending it.”

Joe Rogan: “Fair point. Last question—if you had access to this studio, these tools, would you still have written Summa Theologica?”

St. Thomas Aquinas: “Perhaps the medium would change, but the pursuit of truth is unaltered. Tools are merely instruments; wisdom remains eternal.”

Joe Rogan: “That’s awesome, man. Thanks for coming on. Let’s get you some elk meat and DMT to cap it off!”

St. Thomas Aquinas: “Elk meat sounds intriguing, but I shall pass on the other.” smiles

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