Thomas Aquinas, OP , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an ItalianDominican friar and Catholic priest who was an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, within which he is also known as the "Doctor Angelicus" and "Doctor Communis". "Aquinas" is from the county of Aquino, an area where his family held land until 1137. He was born in Roccasecca, Italy.