Born in Chicago, Illinois, Father Walter Farrell OP., STD., STM., was a prominent moral theologian of the Dominican Central Province, instrumental in developing theology for the laity. He combined the life of an active preacher with that of doing both speculative and popular theology.
He helped to launch "The Thomist", a quarterly specultive review, in April 1939, and contributed to it and to other leading Catholic journals. He is especially known for his "Companion to the Summa", a four volume masterpiece, published between 1938 and 1942.
The "Companion to the Summa" is the most remarkable and successful attempt to put into modern English for a lay audience the essential arguments and insights of Aquinas' greatest work, the "Summa Theologiae". Fr. Farrell wrote this masterpiece between in the late 1930's and early 1940's, so we cannot fault him for the use of language that was acceptable at that time but might sound inappropriate today. His colorful and imaginative paraphrase deserves to be taken off the shelf and reviewed by all serious seekers of theological truth.
Before undertaking these efforts, Farrell developed his literary talents as editor of the "Dominicana" during his time as a student brother at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. He later joined the Province of St. Albert the Great after its foundation in 1939.
Father Farrell passed away at River Forest, Illinois, on November 23, 1951, at the early age of 49. His funeral Mass at St. Pius V Church in Chicago, saw the participation among others of Cardinal Samuel Stritch, Archbishop Leo Binz, Bishop William Edward Cousins and over 200 Dominican friars. His remains are found buried at All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, next to the graves of Humbert Kane OP., Raymond Jude Nogar OP., and James A. Weisheipl OP.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Father Walter Farrell OP., STD., STM., was a prominent moral theologian of the Dominican Central Province, instrumental in developing theology for the laity. He combined the life of an active preacher with that of doing both speculative and popular theology.
He helped to launch "The Thomist", a quarterly specultive review, in April 1939, and contributed to it and to other leading Catholic journals. He is especially known for his "Companion to the Summa", a four volume masterpiece, published between 1938 and 1942.
The "Companion to the Summa" is the most remarkable and successful attempt to put into modern English for a lay audience the essential arguments and insights of Aquinas' greatest work, the "Summa Theologiae". Fr. Farrell wrote this masterpiece between in the late 1930's and early 1940's, so we cannot fault him for the use of language that was acceptable at that time but might sound inappropriate today. His colorful and imaginative paraphrase deserves to be taken off the shelf and reviewed by all serious seekers of theological truth.
Before undertaking these efforts, Farrell developed his literary talents as editor of the "Dominicana" during his time as a student brother at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. He later joined the Province of St. Albert the Great after its foundation in 1939.
Father Farrell passed away at River Forest, Illinois, on November 23, 1951, at the early age of 49. His funeral Mass at St. Pius V Church in Chicago, saw the participation among others of Cardinal Samuel Stritch, Archbishop Leo Binz, Bishop William Edward Cousins and over 200 Dominican friars. His remains are found buried at All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, next to the graves of Humbert Kane OP., Raymond Jude Nogar OP., and James A. Weisheipl OP.
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