Aelred of Rievaulx: Pursuing Perfect HappinessFor the medieval Cistercian abbot Aelred of Rievaulx, human beings are capable of happiness because human nature is good-but the self-defeating choices of humans have led to their misery. A loving God leads humans to happiness by nudging their free wills toward choosing the good and then, if they respond positively, giving them the power to realize that good. The power, or virtue, which perfects the human intellect is humility, which is not meekness but self-knowledge, gained through introspection and meditation on and through nature and Scripture. The will is perfected through love, without which no human act is good. Love for oneself, for others, and for God are complementary, not competing acts of the will. A special way of loving is firiendship, on which Aelred's teaching is perhaps the most complete and most sophisticated in the history of Christian thought. Perfection is, for Aelred, attainable in this life, since he sees perfection as a process, not a static condition. That condition will be attained in the total fulfillment of the afterlife. |
Contents
An Introduction to Aelred | 1 |
B THE GROWTH OF AELREDIAN SCHOLARSHIP | 5 |
Adams Wondrous Dignity | 10 |
A THE RATIONAL AND SOCIAL ANIMAL | 11 |
B THE BEAUTIFUL BODY | 12 |
C THE POTENT SOUL | 15 |
Knowing the True and the Good | 17 |
2 The Wills Free Choice | 19 |
D THE PERFECT FRIENDSHIP OF GOD | 79 |
The path of Virtue | 81 |
B RESTORATION | 84 |
1 Contrition | 85 |
3 Purgation | 86 |
C THE FOUR PRINCIPAL VIRTUES | 88 |
D THE PRACTICE OF VIRTUE | 92 |
2 Simplicity | 95 |
3 The Perceiving and Imagining Memory | 21 |
Attachment and Emotion | 22 |
D THE MUTUAL INDWELLING OF BODY AND SOUL | 24 |
Adams All and Restoration | 28 |
A THE EFFECTS OF SIN ON THE SOUL | 30 |
B THE BODY AND THE FLESH | 33 |
C THE GIFT OF HAPPINESS | 35 |
Humility The Perfection of the Intellect | 41 |
B THE RESTORATION OF TRUE VISION | 43 |
THE PATH TO HUMILITY | 45 |
1 Meditation on and Through Nature | 47 |
2 Meditation on and Through Scripture | 48 |
3 Meditation on Oneself | 52 |
4 Meditation on God | 53 |
Love The Perfection of the Will | 57 |
A TRUE AND FALSE LOVE | 58 |
GOOD DEEDS | 61 |
C LOVE FOR ONESELF AND FOR OTHERS | 63 |
D LOVE FOR GOD | 65 |
E THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LOVES | 66 |
F THE FRUITS OF LOVE | 68 |
Friendship the Perfection of Attachment | 70 |
A BECOMING A FRIEND | 72 |
B How TO BE A FRIEND | 74 |
C THE FOUNDATION OF FRIENDSHIP | 77 |
3 Obedience | 97 |
4 Chastity | 98 |
5 Prayer | 100 |
the Happiness of Perfection | 102 |
B THE PERFECTION OF BODY AND SOUL | 105 |
C THE WONDROUS HARMONY OF PERFECTION | 108 |
D THE PERFECTION OF THE COMING LIFE | 109 |
E THE FINAL FULFILLMENT | 112 |
1 The Vision of Truth | 113 |
2 The Unity of Love | 114 |
3 The Everlasting Memory | 115 |
5 The Glorified Body | 116 |
F THE END AND CONSUMMATION IN HAPPINESS | 118 |
IX Contemplation | 120 |
B WHAT CONTEMPLATION IS NOT | 123 |
C THE THIRD VISITATION | 128 |
D THE SABBATH OF SABBATHS | 130 |
E THE FULFILLMENT OF FRIENDSHIP | 133 |
F THE END OF THE JOURNEY | 134 |
G WAS AELRED A CONTEMPLATIVE? | 135 |
Notes | 139 |
171 | |
181 | |
183 | |
Common terms and phrases
abbot Aelred asserts Aelred is sure Aelred knows Aelred of Rievaulx Aelred offers Aelred says Aelred thinks Aelred urges Aelred's teaching Aelredian affectus Anima Asspt attachment beatific vision Bernard of Clairvaux body's brothers CCCM Charles Dumont chastity Christ Cistercian Publications Cistercian Studies Cīteaux conversion Corpus Christianorum delight desire divine embrace example flesh fortitude free choice gift glory God's grace happiness heart heaven holy human humility Iesu Inst incl 3.31 intellect Jesus justice Kal Nov Kalamazoo Lord meditation memory Michigan Mirror of Love Monastic monks Nat JB nature neighbor numbering one's Oner 20 oneself Pasc path Patrologia latina peace Pent perfection physical prayer prevenient grace pride prudence rational reason Reclusion sabbath saints Scripture self-centered love self-centeredness sense sort soul's speak Spec car Spir amic Spiritual Friendship tion tranquility translation true love vice virtue vision Vita Walter Daniel wisdom
References to this book
Aelred of Rievaulx on Love and Order in the World and the Church John R. Sommerfeldt Limited preview - 2006 |