The Two Hands of Thomas Aquinas: The Reportationes of the Commentary on Matthew

The gospel of Matthew is more important to the theology of Thomas Aquinas than most scholars have realised. Access to his commentary on this gospel is impeded by the lack of a critical edition. Moreover, we have only two reportationes of the text. In order to establish the value of these texts, I present a systematic comparison of the background, skill, and editorial activity of their scribes, and try to settle the major textual and historical issues. I present more arguments in support of the idea that the reportatio of Aquinas’ secretary Peter of Andria is the most reliable of the two. The information I provide here is intended as a starting point for further research on the commentary on Matthew, and on the importance of this gospel to the theology of Aquinas.