Friendship as ecclesial binding : A reading of St. Augustine's theology of friendship from his 'In Iohannis Euangelium Tractatus' / Phillip J. Brown.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Brown, Phillip J., author.

Series:

Studia traditionis theologiae ; 48.

Studia Traditionis Theologiae (STT) 48

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354-430. In Evangelium Iohannis tractatus.

Augustine.

Friendship--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Friendship.

Bible. John--Criticism, interpretation, etc--History.

Bible.

Physical Description:

210 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Turnhout : Brepols 2022.

Summary:

In the age of Augustine, within the classical structures of society, nothing was more valued than friends and friendship. Augustine was an innovative thinker and friendship represents a good example of his flair for reconfiguring its framework into an ecclesial setting. He wrote: "what greater consolation do we have in this human society, riddled with errors and anxieties, than the unfeigned faith and mutual love of true and good friends?". Yet, as a Christian Bishop, how would he reconceive this well established and treasured institution? Friendship was certainly something that became recast within the light of his conversion and immersion into the life of the Church. In Augustine's exchange with the Donatists, we glimpse his most fully developed vision of friendship. Through his preaching on John's gospel, which comes to us as his 'InIohannis Euangelium Tractatus', Augustine reveals this vision of what friendship is. Given that John's gospel gives such weight to the incarnation and to friendship, we can witness through his hermeneutical strategy of figuration, his notion that friendship with God comes in belonging to the totus Christus, 'the whole Christ'. For Augustine, the universal nature of the Church as Christ's body and bride enjoys a continued connection to the head (Christ) and through the Church, its members live within the embrace of the Spirit. With this foundation of friendship, Augustine cried out to those separated by schism: belong - be bound - be friends with God in Christ.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: General Scholarship and Methodology

In Iohannis Euangelium Tractatus

The Trinity and the Church

The Shape of this Work

ch. 1 The Empire, Eagle and Africa

Donatism in the Context of Church and State

Introduction

The Eagle of Empire and Africa

Augustine and the Donatists

Summary

ch. 2 The Ties that Bind

Family, Friends and Friendship Introduction

Augustine, Family and his Formation

Augustine's Formation of Friendship

The Classical Character of Augustine's Vision of Friendship

The Foundation of True Friendship

ch. 3 Quia Caritas Dei

Donatism, Friendship and the Unity of Christ Introduction

In Societatis Unitate

The Law of Love

Ex Pluribus Unum Facere

Growing in Agreement

ch. 4 Figuration and Friendship

Rhetoric as the Clavis of Christian Amicitia Introduction

Augustine's Figurative Formation

Rhetoric as the Clavis of Interpretatio Scripturae

North Africa and the Tradition of the Trope

Figuration and the Hermeneutics of Friendship

ch. 5 The Amicus Sponsi

John the Baptist and the Vision of Christian Friendship Introduction

The Figure of John

Was He not the Friend of the Bridegroom?

The Signs of Friendship

Seruo Amicus Fieri Meruit

AudiAmicum Sponsi

Disciples of Donatus

Being Friends

Summary.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [181]-192) and indexes.

ISBN:

9782503599243

2503599249

OCLC:

1329222840