Auteur: Geerlings, Wilhelm
Titre: Das Freundschaftsideal Augustins
Revue/Collection: "Theologische Quartalschrift", CLXI
Annèe edition: 1981
Pages: 265-274
Mots-clès: Héritage - Fortuna - Legacy
Description: Augustine was a man who found it very difficult to live alone. It was also for this reason that he had a "genius for friendship" (F. van der Meer). Even though we do not have a single treatise of his on friendship, and even though he was very discrete concerning his own sentiments, one can reconstruct the basic features of his ideals of friendship from letters and other texts (in particular the sermo 385). To begin with, he used the model developed by Cicero in the Laelius. It was this ideal which the circle of friends at Cassiacum tried to live. Augustine, however, went further. Friendship demands from the friend love, trust, frankness and prayer. It is also for this reason that, according to Augustine, true friendship is only possible among those who are baptised. In the course of his life, Augustine would even distinguish the "amicitia consuetudinis" which had been so important for him and which, according to him, also existed among animals, from the "amicitia rationis". Following an experience with death (in particular, that of an old friend), the ideal of a friendship with the few with whom he could at least approach the beata vita, developed into the ideal of a friendship with as many as possible. Friendship is now an abbreviation for charity. True friendship and security, however, only exist with God. [Author]
Oeuvres:
Sigle auteur: Geerlings 1981
Titre: Das Freundschaftsideal Augustins
Revue/Collection: "Theologische Quartalschrift", CLXI
Annèe edition: 1981
Pages: 265-274
Mots-clès: Héritage - Fortuna - Legacy
Description: Augustine was a man who found it very difficult to live alone. It was also for this reason that he had a "genius for friendship" (F. van der Meer). Even though we do not have a single treatise of his on friendship, and even though he was very discrete concerning his own sentiments, one can reconstruct the basic features of his ideals of friendship from letters and other texts (in particular the sermo 385). To begin with, he used the model developed by Cicero in the Laelius. It was this ideal which the circle of friends at Cassiacum tried to live. Augustine, however, went further. Friendship demands from the friend love, trust, frankness and prayer. It is also for this reason that, according to Augustine, true friendship is only possible among those who are baptised. In the course of his life, Augustine would even distinguish the "amicitia consuetudinis" which had been so important for him and which, according to him, also existed among animals, from the "amicitia rationis". Following an experience with death (in particular, that of an old friend), the ideal of a friendship with the few with whom he could at least approach the beata vita, developed into the ideal of a friendship with as many as possible. Friendship is now an abbreviation for charity. True friendship and security, however, only exist with God. [Author]
Oeuvres:
Sigle auteur: Geerlings 1981
