ished ▁Vis iting ▁Professor ▁at ▁Boston ▁College , ▁and ▁as ▁Still man ▁Professor ▁of ▁Div inity ▁at ▁Harvard ▁University . ▁ ▁A ims ▁ ▁L on er gan ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁do ▁for ▁human ▁thought ▁in ▁our ▁time ▁what ▁Thomas ▁Aqu inas ▁had ▁done ▁for ▁his ▁own ▁time . ▁Aqu inas ▁had ▁successfully ▁applied ▁Arist ot elian ▁thought ▁to ▁the ▁service ▁of ▁a ▁Christian ▁understanding ▁of ▁the ▁universe . ▁L on er gan ' s ▁program ▁was ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁terms ▁with ▁modern ▁scientific , ▁historical , ▁and ▁herm ene ut ical ▁thinking ▁in ▁a ▁compar able ▁way . ▁He ▁purs ued ▁this ▁program ▁in ▁his ▁two ▁most ▁fundamental ▁works , ▁Ins ight ▁and ▁Method ▁in ▁The ology . ▁ ▁The ▁key ▁to ▁L on er gan ' s ▁project ▁is ▁self - app ropri ation , ▁that ▁is , ▁the ▁personal ▁discovery ▁and ▁personal ▁em brace ▁of ▁the ▁dynamic ▁structure ▁of ▁inqu iry , ▁insight , ▁judgment , ▁and ▁decision . ▁By ▁self - app ropri ation , ▁one ▁finds ▁in ▁one ' s ▁own ▁intelligence , ▁reason ab len ess , ▁and ▁responsibility ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁every ▁kind ▁of ▁inqu iry ▁and ▁the ▁basic ▁pattern ▁of ▁operations ▁under g ird ing ▁method ical ▁investigation ▁in ▁every ▁field . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁often ▁associated — with ▁his ▁fellow ▁Jes uits ▁Karl ▁Rah ner ▁and ▁Joseph ▁Mar éch al — with ▁" trans c endent al ▁Thom ism ", ▁i . e ., ▁a ▁philosophy ▁which ▁attempts ▁to ▁combine ▁Thom ism ▁with ▁certain