After her baptism at the age of 32, Stein engaged with Aquinas on several levels. Initially she
compared his thought with that of Husserl, then proceeded to translate several of his works,
and attempted to explore some of his fundamental concepts (potency and act)
phenomenologically. She arrived finally in Finite and Eternal Being at a philosophical position
inspired by his synthesis of Christian faith and philosophical tradition without abandoning
her phenomenological starting point and method. Whether one would want to call this
position Thomist depends on what one understands Thomism to be
