Aquinas and the Biblical Grounds of the Doctrine of Creation

Anchored in the field of Biblical Thomism, this study explores the major topics of Aquinas’s creation theology in the light of his references to Scripture. In recent years, there has been a widespread recognition of Aquinas as a biblical exegete, challenging the one-dimensional portrayal of him as merely a philosopher. Utilizing both the Index Thomisticus and Tabula Aurea, this study identifies passages from Aquinas’s works, both exegetical and non-exegetical, that elaborate on scriptural verses related to creation theology. Through an analysis of these passages, this study reveals that his Scripture-inspired theology of creation is theocentric and Christocentric, marked by optimism and rich metaphorical imagery. Aquinas derived distinct themes from each Testament while also expounding on subjects that appear throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Out of the 308 verses examined in this study, Aquinas places greater emphasis on Wisdom 11:21, Psalm 8:4, and Genesis 1:1. Overall, this study indicates that Aquinas’s exegetical works provide significant value to scholars of theology.