Thomas Aquinas & Sherlock Holmes Part 2

My latest historical mystery/detective novel, The Medieval Adventures of Thomas Aquinas,  has the 13th century theologian/philosopher solving mysteries and crimes in medieval Europe.

Last week's blog on Thomas Aquinas and Sherlock Holmes received some very positive feedback, so I thought I would do a follow up.

My previous blog revealed the commonalities between Aquinas and Holmes such as their use of logic and reason. I found the two had other attitudes they shared.

In their viewpoint toward woman, both Aquinas and Holmes have come under some criticism as misogynists.

Holmes: Women are not to be entirely trusted—not the best of them. 
—The Sign of Four

Aquinas: Among perfect animals the active power of generation belongs to the male sex, the passive power to the female.
—Summa Theologiae 


Holmes: Women are naturally secretive, and they like to do their own secreting.
—A Scandal in Bohemia

Aquinas: As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten...
—Summa Theologiae 

Both Aquinas and Holmes were philosophers and Godly men acknowledging God in the world

Holmes: God help us!... I never hear of such a case as this that I do not think of Baxter's words and say: 'There but for the grace of God, goes Sherlock Holmes.
—The Bascombe Valley Mystery

Aquinas: ... man needs the help of grace in order to be moved by God to act.
—Summa Theologiae 

Holmes: What is the meaning of  it, Watson? What object is served by this circle of misery and violence and fear? It must tend to some end, or else our universe is ruled by chance, which is unthinkable.
—The Cardboard Box

Aquinas: Therefore, God alone can satisfy the will of man...
—Summa Theologiae 

Stephen Gaspar's books can be found on Amazon

Sherlock Holmes, Thomas Aquinas and Reason

I believe that one of the most appealing aspects of detectives--and I put Sherlock Holmes first on this list---is the use of reasoning in crime solving. That was the main thing that attracted me to Thomas Aquinas as a detective. In my latest book The Medieval Adventures of Thomas Aquinas, the medieval theologian/philosopher uses reason in the solving of mysteries.

Reason in man is like God in the world, is a well-known quote of Saint Thomas. He was the man who tried to show the harmony between faith and reason. Thomas believed that God, nature and human beings could be understood through reason. Or as Sherlock Holmes said, There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion. Thomas would agree. 

We cannot have knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.

Thomas was more than a reasoning machine, of course, for he said, Love takes up where reasoning leaves off. And one of my favorite quotes of his is, Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a warm bath and a glass of wine.
Sherlock Holmes said, Work is the best antidote for sorrow.

I enjoyed learning about Thomas Aquinas and his writings and found it challenging incorporating his teachings into the series of stories in my book.

Stephen Gaspar's books can be found on Amazon.

Thomas Aquinas -- The Pursuit of Truth

    My latest historical novel, The Medieval Adventures of Thomas Aquinas, is a collection of detective stories in which the Dominican Master encounters a series of puzzling mysteries during his life.

  The chapter entitled The Pursuit of Truth finds Thomas in 1244, soon after taking his Domincan habit. On his way to meet up with the Master General of the Dominicans Thomas is kidnapped by his elder brother Rinaldo and is taken to the family castle in Montesangiovanni. Not at all pleased that Thomas has joined a mendicant order, his family hopes to force Thomas to renounce his vows. 

    While being held prisoner in the tower of the castle, Thomas learns of the mysterious death of local farmer. Without leaving the confines of his prison cell, Thomas discovers the truth.   
This story has Thomas expounding his views about marriage and sex.                                   

Stephen Gaspar's books can be found on Amazon                                                                                                                                                                              

The Medieval Adventures of Thomas Aquinas

    I first came across Saint Thomas Aquinas while doing research for a historical mystery/detective novel, The Templar and the True Cross. Thomas Aquinas is mentioned only briefly in this book, but what I read about him would stay with me. From the little I knew of the Dominican Master, he seemed like he would make a great detective. I began to research St. Thomas in depth, and though much of his writings for me are heavy and complicated (I have no background in philosophy or medieval thought) I believed there was the making of some great detective stories. 

Stephen Gaspar's books can be found on Amazon.

Thomas Aquinas (privatus investigo)

    The 13th century was a pivotal point in Western culture. Europe witnessed the rise of the great universities and the resurgence of Aristotelian thought. It was the age of reason. No man exemplified this new age more than Saint Thomas Aquinas, who was a brilliant theologian, a philosopher and privatus investigo. He was the man who perfected faith through reason. 

    The Medieval Adventures of Thomas Aquinas is a fictional account of mysteries Saint Thomas Aquinas encountered during his life. Though a work of fiction, extensive research was carried out to maintain historical accuracy and integrity of the life and times of Saint Thomas. The stories also showcase his masterful style of theology and philosophy.

Stephen Gaspar's books can be found on Amazon.

Thomas Aquinas P I

    I have just released my latest historical mystery/detective novel, The Medieval Adventures of Thomas Aquinas. It is available on Amazon.

    Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) was a Dominican priest, a philosopher and Scriptural theologian. He was born in Italy and taught at the universities of Paris, Cologne and Naples. 

    Thomas wrote a great deal in his life and is credited with the harmonious blending of faith and reason. 


 Stephen Gaspar's books are available on Amazon.

Sherlock Holmes & Robert Service

If you have already read Cold-Hearted Murder, then you know it is a Sherlock Holmes mystery, but it is also a Canadian mystery where part of the story takes place in the Yukon Territory during the Klondike Gold Rush.
After I had written The Canadian Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, I did not think I had another Holmes story in me. There had been some nine adventures in the first book which had drained me. I do not know how Conan Doyle could have written 56 short stories and 4 novels. After moving on to another non-Holmes project I got the craving for another Sherlock story. This time I would not write short story adventures but a novel, and I would fashion it after A Study in Scarlet, the very first Holmes story.
I wanted to do a story with the great detective in his usual environs (London), but I still wanted a Canadian connection. Knowing a bit of Canadian history I focused on the Klondike Gold Rush, a drama unique in North American history. I had read Pierre Burton’s (my favourite Canadian historian) The Klondike years before and was amazed by the incredible stories and characters that the gold rush produced.

Robert Service

I thought the Klondike Gold Rush would be a great backdrop for a Holmes story. Like in A Study in Scarlet, my Holmes adventure, Cold-Hearted Murder would have the first part take place in London with Holmes and Watson investigating some gruesome murders. The second part of the story would tell the tale of what led up to the crimes.

Burton’s book had not been my first exposure to the Klondike. As a child I remember my grandfather reciting the poems of Robert Service; The Shooting of Dan McGrew, The Cremation of Sam McGgee, which led me to buy and read all of Service’s poems. His verse about the Klondike were always my favourites. 

There are strange things done in the midnight sun      
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales      
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,      
But the queerest they ever did see ...

    
Watch youtube video for Cold-Hearted Murder

One of my original characters from The Canadian Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Henry Barclay of the North West Mounted Police makes an appearance in Cold-Hearted Murder as well. You cannot have a good Canadian story without a Mountie. The Mounties were, of course in the Yukon during the Gold Rush to keep order, but that does not mean crime was nonexistent.

Just recently a co-worker gave me a facsimile of a document from the Yukon dated 1903. The document gives permission to a person to view the hanging of two men who killed three people while committing robbery. I decided to investigate and see how many public hangings there were in the Yukon and discovered that between 1899 and 1903 there were seven hangings in Dawson, all for the crime of murder.
This is not so hard to understand when you consider the extraordinary times when thousands of people travel to a remote wilderness on top of the world all hoping to strike it rich.

Books by Stephen Gaspar can be found on Amazon