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Classical Style And Catholic Theology: A Multi-Faceted Analysis Of The Eucharistic Hymns Of Saint Thomas Aquinas, David Nussman

Honors Bachelor of Arts

Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote five Eucharistic hymns, and four of them are included among the liturgical texts for the Feast of Corpus Christi. This essay seeks to analyze these five hymns using a classical methodology. In short, this classical methodology consists of paying close attention to rhetorical devices—especially the micro-level details of diction, syntax, and word-order. The first chapter argues that Saint Thomas Aquinas approached his hymns with a mindset comparable in some respects to that of the ancient Roman poets. The essay then analyzes the stylistic features in the second chapter. Lastly, the third chapter shows that certain teachings …