Inquiring After God Through Friendship

Aelrid of Rievaulx

TH 291

10/19/04

Introduction

• abbot of the monastery (CEO) – spiritual leader, pays the bills, etc
• abbot – comes from abba
• sabbinical monastism – in community
• hermitical – in desert
• Benedict’s Rule – read the chapter on the abbot

Friendship

• big deal in ancient Greece and ancient Rome
• friends were like mentors to guide you through career, to be established citizen
• Plato – very very important
• more important than spouses – with friends lust is taken away
• Socrates (in Plato’s mouth) opposed homosexuality
• homosexuality practiced in Greece is not the same as what we debating today
• homosexuality – stepping stones to power in culture
• Cicero – leading statesman in Rome, treatise on friendships
• heavily focused on Stoicism
• Stoicism – moderation, self-control – especially of the passions
• not in Bible – Psalms shows more betrayal by friends
• monastic life – sexual temptations

Aelrid

• difficult time with sexuality in adolescence
• went to monastery to deal with destructive behavior
• intimacy in light of self-control (especially sexual)
• realized healing power of friendship
• he did not dismiss it because it was dangerous
• other religious traditions see dangers as things to run from
• spiritual friendship – marriage ideal

Marriage

• spiritual friends

Types of friendships

• first two are instrumental (means to an end)
• third type is non-instrumental
• carnal - lust
• worldly – personal advantage, gain (like ancient Greek world)
• spiritual – love them for their own good, not from you can get from that person
• instrumental feature of spiritual friendship – spiritual growth that that person will help you