An exploration of ‘Phenomenological Thomism’ from the perspective of the later thought of Edith Stein and her innovative form of personalism. After a brief introduction of Stein’s historical encounter with Aquinas and Thomism, Robert McNamara proceeds with an exposition of the Thomistic understanding of conceptualization and Stein’s modified use of the phenomenological method to show how phenomenology can be set at the service of the Thomistic tradition and the philosophia perennis more broadly. By way of illustration, McNamara outlines several significant anthropological teachings of the Thomistic tradition that have been developed and deepened by Stein through her use of phenomenology in tandem with her interpretation of the Thomistic tradition.
About Prof. Dr. Robert McNamara:
Dr. Robert McNamara is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville and an expert in Thomism and phenomenology, focusing on Edith Stein. He has studied physics, computing, philosophy, and theology, and earned his Ph.D. for research on Edith Stein and Thomas Aquinas. McNamara is also the Associate Series Editor of Edith Stein Studies, a scholar at the Hildebrand Project, and a founding member of the Aquinas Institute of Ireland. His research centers on anthropological and metaphysical questions, particularly in philosophical personalism