How did Arabic and Jewish thinkers influence St. Thomas Aquinas?

St. Thomas Aquinas was deeply influenced by Arabic and Jewish thinkers, whose works helped him integrate Aristotelian philosophy into Christian theology. During the 13th century, Aquinas encountered these thinkers as he sought to reconcile the autonomy of natural reason with the truths of faith.123

Arabic Influence

Aquinas engaged extensively with the works of Avicenna and Averroës, who were the primary conduits for Aristotelian thought in the West. While he utilized their commentaries to understand Aristotle, he also critically challenged them. For instance, he opposed the "radical Averroism" of his contemporaries, which suggested that reason and faith could be contradictory. Aquinas rejected such dualism, maintaining that because both faith and reason originate from the same divine source, they must be fundamentally compatible.231

Jewish Influence

The Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides was particularly significant to Aquinas. Maimonides’ The Guide for the Perplexed provided a model for reconciling Greek philosophy with revealed religion, arguing that apparent conflicts arise from misinterpretations of either scripture or philosophy. Aquinas adopted this approach, using it to harmonize his own theological synthesis. Additionally, some Scholastics were influenced by Ibn Gabirol regarding the composition of creatures.241