Theology 4: Lesson 3: St. Augustine On Friendship and Fraternal Correction

THEOLOGY 4
LESSON 3: ST. AUGUSTINE ON FRIENDSHIP AND FRATERNAL

CORRECTION
Background
A. FRIENDSHIP IN ANTIQUITY\
I. Meaning
- Greek, philia; Latin, amiticia
- connotes kinship; helped construct effective political and social networks
- amiticia: horizontal (friendship among equal aristocrats) and vertical (patron-client
relationship) dimensions
- Friendship (philia) is a virtue, or it involves virtue a constitutive part of virtue, and an
aid to its attainmenta good person needs friends to lead a good life
- Friendship (amiticia) is agreement on divine and human affairs accompanied by
benevolence and charity
o the greatest gift of the gods
o Important for a virtuous life
o Virtue is the root of friendship
II. Patron-Client Relationship
- the weak under the protection of rich and powerful patrons granting of economic,
professional, and legal assistance in return for services economic, professional, and
legal assistance in return for services
III. Friendship Based on Prominent People Related to St. Augustine
- For Aristotle, friendship (philia) is a virtue, or it involves virtue

o a constitutive part of virtue, and an aid to its attainment
o a good person needs friends to lead a good life
- For CICERO, friendship (amiticia) is agreement on divine and human affairs
accompanied by benevolence and charity
o The greatest gift of the gods
o Important for a virtuous life
o Virtue is the root of friendship
- AMBROSE: Friendship is a virtue.
- PAULINUS OF NOLA: prefers “kinship” rather than amiticia in the Christian life
IV. St. Augustine on FRIEND and FRATERNAL CORRECTION
At first, he followed Cicero’s thoughts on the positive contribution of friendship to a

virtuous life, but later, found it to be incomplete. For him there are two things are essential
in this world: Healthy life and Friendship – the solid foundation of any society
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1. True friendship is based on Jesus Christ.
- God is the glue that binds all friendship.
2. Mutual correction and rebuke is part of Christian friendship (vera amiticia)
3. Concordia is an essential element of friendship

- Harmony in thinking
- Warm caring for the other
- Reciprocity that necessitates equality
- “The eyes of friendship neither look down nor look up to a friend; they look at the
friend.”
- Love in friendship has a leveling power!
4. GOD, the common end of friendship.
5. Benevolence, characteristic of friendship

- Wishing the salvation of our friends; bringing friends to God.
6. Purest friendship occurs between humans when we love the other because of the good we
see in them, a reflection of the good God!
7. The volatile nature of friendship

- Actions intended for the good could be misunderstood; people change
8. Friendship could make one worse or foster various vices.

- could be an obstacle, rather than an aid to virtue
- a locus for cupiditas, rather than caritas
- A person’s concern for the opinion of others fosters superbia (pride) leading to the
commission of greater evils (cf. pear theft)
9. Friendship must be based on TRUTH!

- Agreement on common goals
- Acceptance of strengths and weaknesses
Conclusion
- FRIENDSHIP MUST LEAD US TO GOODNESS AND GOD, OUR ULTIMATE

GOAL
a. Synthesis:
What restored and re-created me above all was the consolation of other friends, in whose
company I loved what I was loving as a substitute for you (Before his conversion). There were
other joys to be found in their (friends’) company which still more powerfully captivated my
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mind – the charms of talking and laughing together and kindly giving way to each other’s
wishes, reading elegantly written books together, sharing jokes and delighting to honour one
another, disagreeing occasionally but without rancour, as a person might disagree with himself,
and lending piquancy by that rare disagreement to our much more frequent accord. We would
teach and learn from each other, sadly missing any who were absent and blithely welcoming
them when they returned. Such signs of friendship sprang from the hearts of friends who loved
and knew their love returned, signs to be read in smiles, word, glances and a thousand gracious
gestures. Se were sparks kindled and our minds were fused inseparably, out of many becoming
one. [Confessions Bk IV.8.13]
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THEOLOGY 4

LESSON 3: ST. AUGUSTINE ON FRIENDSHIP AND FRATERNAL

II. Patron-Client Relationship

III. Friendship Based on Prominent People Related to St. Augustine

- For Aristotle, friendship (philia) is a virtue, or it involves virtue

IV. St. Augustine on FRIEND and FRATERNAL CORRECTION

At first, he followed Cicero’s thoughts on the positive contribution of friendship to a

2. Mutual correction and rebuke is part of Christian friendship (vera amiticia)

3. Concordia is an essential element of friendship

4. GOD, the common end of friendship.

5. Benevolence, characteristic of friendship

7. The volatile nature of friendship

8. Friendship could make one worse or foster various vices.

9. Friendship must be based on TRUTH!

- FRIENDSHIP MUST LEAD US TO GOODNESS AND GOD, OUR ULTIMATE

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