Summa Theologica is difficult partly because of the style of the times and a lot of it presumes you know the underlying philosophy and theology. Underlying principles are not explained, you're supposed to already know that stuff. Works out well if you do your research.
Gus, I went to Le Moyne College, a liberal arts school run by those dreaded Jesuits. Core requirements included 15 hours of Philosophy and 6 hours of Theology (theology in a wide scope, nor religion) Being Accounting majors we thought it a drudge. Looking back those were the most valuable courses. First it teaches you to order your thoughts, to think in a rational manner which affects all of your life, whatever you're doing. Secondly it helps you find your place in the cosmos allowing you to live a fulfilling life. So yes, I think students should pursue these courses, hopefully with more enthusiasm than I did.
The key elements in human thinking are not numbers but labels of fuzzy sets. -- L. Zadeh
Core requirements included 15 hours of Philosophy and 6 hours of Theology (theology in a wide scope, nor religion) Being Accounting majors we thought it a drudge. Looking back those were the most valuable courses. First it teaches you to order your thoughts, to think in a rational manner which affects all of your life, whatever you're doing. Secondly it helps you find your place in the cosmos allowing you to live a fulfilling life. So yes, I think students should pursue these courses, hopefully with more enthusiasm than I did. 
