He was the youngest of nine children in a family of lower nobility, with his father being Count Landulph of Aquino and his mother Countess Theodora of Teano. His early education began at the Abbey of Monte Cassino when he was just five years old, where he displayed an inquisitive nature, often questioning the nature of God.

At the age of 13, due to political circumstances, he returned to Naples to continue his education. There, he studied under the Benedictines and developed a keen interest in philosophy, particularly the works of Aristotle. In 1243, Thomas secretly joined the Order of Friars Preachers (Dominicans), which led to a conflict with his family who attempted to dissuade him from this path by holding him captive for a year.

After his release in 1245, he resumed his studies with the Dominicans in Naples and later moved to Paris and Cologne. He earned his doctorate in theology under Saint Albert the Great and became a renowned teacher at the University of Paris. Throughout his life, Aquinas wrote extensively on theology and philosophy, most notably in works such as “Summa Theologica,” where he sought to reconcile faith with reason.

Aquinas’s theological contributions were significant during a time when scholars debated the relationship between faith (theology) and reason (philosophy). He argued that both types of knowledge originate from God and can coexist harmoniously.