Amazon.com description: Product Description: In the 13th century, Pope Urban IV, desiring that scholars of his day be better acquainted with the ideas of early Christians, assigned Saint Thomas Aquinas to compile a commentary on the Gospels based on the teachings of the Church fathers. The result is the Catena Aurea, or "Golden Chain." This eight-volume set, composed of analyses of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, gives readers a deeper insight into how the original teachers of Christianity read and understood Scripture. In the Catena, each Gospel is presented chapter-by-chapter and verse by verse alongside relevant Biblical passages and critical analysis by such Church luminaries as Augustine and the Venerable Bede. Of particular interest to students of religion, seminarians, and clergy, the Catena is a classic of Catholic scholarship that will serve as a useful and easy reference. Italian philosopher, scholar, and Dominican Friar SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274) is widely considered to be the Catholic Church's greatest theologian. He was canonized in 1323 and proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1567.