On a Complex Theory of a Simple God: An Investigation in Aquinas

Hughes discusses Aquinus' work regarding the apparently irreconcilable theses of natural and revealed theology, and he argues that Aquinas fails in his attempt to reconcile absolute simplicity with the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation. Hughes also offers a provocative account of divine simplicity and explores its implications for the Thomistic doctrines of the Trinity and Incarnation.In On a Complex Theory of a Simple God, Christopher Hughes rigorously examines Thomas Aquinas's doctrine of divine simplicity—the idea that God is without parts or composition. Hughes uses the tools of contemporary analytic philosophy to analyze this challenging concept, exploring its implications for divine attributes like goodness, knowledge, and eternity. The book critically assesses whether Aquinas's sophisticated theory is coherent and defensible, making it a pivotal work for philosophers and theologians interested in the logical structure of classical theism.