Those familiar with aelred may be surprised that i intend to use his works to reflect on a spirituality of mercy, rather than on spiritual friendship. Spiritual friendship cistercian studies series by marsha l. Add them to your book bucket list, you wont regret it. One feels that one is part of the discussion group, like a book club. God is friendship church life journal university of notre dame. It has been about 900 years, so i shouldnt be so surprised. Stock publishers 7jtjupvs8fctjufbuxxx xjqgboetupdl dpn. In 1150, abbot aelred of rievaulx, a cistercian monastery in yorkshire, answered the same question posed by a monk called yves. Perhaps the greatest gift this book provides is its inviting portraits of the process of spiritual friendship and direction.
A good book can help you progress in your spiritual journey in leaps and bounds. What is said about friendship is a real eyeopener, putting friendship at the service of life moving towards god, instead of a mere passing experience. Saint aelred of rievaulx cistercian monk britannica. Nov 24, 2008 now this new edition opens up the riches of this spiritual masterpiece to a wide audience of contemporary readers who see the spiritual life not as a solitary enterprise, but one intimately connected to relationships. His most famous work is called spiritual friendship both it and the mirror have been published in english by the cistercian press. Pdf download aelred of rievaulx spiritual friendship a new translation pdf full ebook. Spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx 9780879079703. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Spiritual friendshipis today the best known and perhaps most influential of the thirteen surviving works of aelred, abbot of the great english cistercian abbey of rievaulx from 1147 1167.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, micro. In this inviting guide, david benner introduces readers to the riches of spiritual friendship and direction, explaining what they are and how they are practiced. Close friends ground us and keep us from thinking that what we have is our own. Aelred of rievaulx spiritual friendship pdf what is the. At the end of book 1, aelred agrees with cicero that true friendship is. Sources of the spiritual friendship aelred in the tradition of monastic friendship spiritual friendship prologue book one. The dialogue structure of spiritual friendship immediately shows the importance of others in the spiritual life. Reading aelred of rievaulx s little treatise on spiritual friendship as an undergraduate was a lifechanging experience for me.
Alfred of rievaulx seek ye first the kingdom of god. As a writer, aelred left behind a substantial body of work noted for its quality and breadth of insight. During his abbacy he built rievaulx into a place of spiritual welcome and physical prosperity, desiring to make it a mother. He references cicero and his treatise on friendship which i picked up for later reading, but presents his thoughts on friendship, sharing his experiencemostly from his aelred was a. Spiritual friendship is today the best known and perhaps most influential of the thirteen surviving works of aelred, abbot of the great english cistercian abbey of rievaulx from 1147 1167. Product title our baby boy memory book hardcover average rating. We had a lot of fun creating this reading list of the best spiritual books for our amazing readers at everyday power blog. The mirror of charitygives us a solid theology of the cistercian life.
To have written so truthfully about friendship, he must have been a good friend to others. My pro posed answer for a spirituality at the junction of modernity and post modernity is a spirituality of mercy. Spiritual friendship cistercian fathers series 9780879072056 by aelred of rievaulx and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at. Written in dialogue form, aelred of rievaulx offers wise counsel on many aspects of friendship. Jan 12, 2015 known best for his treatises on spiritual friendship and the mirror of charity, in which he sketched a vision for monastic community, aelred has become the unofficial patron saint of friendship, owing to his powerful depiction of the spiritual fruitfulness of samesex love.
Close friends ground us and keep us from thinking that what we have is our own accomplishment. Saint aelred of rievaulx, author of spiritual friendship, on librarything. His feast day is celebrated by the cistercians on february 3. Apr 01, 2010 spiritual friendship is today the best known and perhaps most influential of the thirteen surviving works of aelred, abbot of the great english cistercian abbey of rievaulx from 1147 1167. For further reading, i recommend aelred squire op, aelred of rievaulx. My ultimate reading list of wisdomfilled spiritual books that have made a huge difference in my own journey. No medicine is more valuable, none more efficacious, none better suited to the cure of our temporal ills than a friend to whom we may turn for consolation in time of trouble, and with whom we may share happiness in time of joy. Alfred of rievaulx, from spiritual friendship circa 1150. Spiritual friendship by saint aelred of rievaulx librarything. At the end of his letter to maurice, his superior, walter daniel describes how near the end of his life. Spiritual friendship cistercian father series by aelred of rievaulx at.
In her book spiritual friendship, darkness and light, dr. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Aelred died in the winter of 11667, probably on 12 january 1167 at rievaulx. Sommerfeldts new book on the thought of aelred, the great twelfthcentury abbot of rievaulx, complements his 2004 book, aelred of rievaulx. However aelreds book on spiritual friendship is unique because he skilfully. Spiritual journey, spiritual friendship with christ and.
We see in the prologue to the spiritual friendship that the question of. St aelred of rievaulx english province of the order of. Saint aelred of rievaulx, writer, historian, and outstanding cistercian abbot who influenced monasticism in medieval england, scotland, and france. In his treatise on spiritual friendship, aelred of rievaulx.
Aelred writes in the prologue to his best known work, the treatise on spiritual friendship, that. Spiritual friendship cistercian studies series marsha l. Reading or listening to audiobooks is a great way to keep expanding your awareness. I can still remember the disappointment in my 14yearold cousins words. Perhaps the flourishing of rievaulx was in part to do with how its abbot gave a christian witness to spiritual friendship. Jan 12, 2011 during this period, aelred wrote his best known work, spiritual friendship.
Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Spiritual friendship, by aelred of rievaulx, alban books. Nathaniel peters celebrates aelred of rievaulxs unique contribution to christian theology. That book s theme, aelreds confidence in gods infinite love, also underlies this one. The classic text with a spiritual commentary by dennis billy, c. This is a fantastic book that connects at the intersection of neuroscience and spirituality. His own experience of human weakness in a worldly life at the court of king david of scotland made him sensitive to the doctrine of charity which he found among cistercian monks. An interpretation of the lysis with a new translation. In short, monastic theology, like monastic friendship according to the exemplary account of aelred of rievaulx, is ideally a balanced activity of reason and will, profoundly christcentered, existentially grounded in both sensible and spiritual experience, and quintessentially expressed in. Carnal friendship is a mutual harmony in vice which begins when lustful eyes allow into the mind images of beautiful bodies. What magic a book can hold, it can transport you to any time or any place, real or imagined, inspire and teach you almost anything about life, love and why we are here. He is regarded by anglicans, catholics, and other christians as a saint. Pdf download aelred of rievaulx spiritual friendship a new. Patricia carroll ocso draws our attention to aelred of rievaulx, a cistercian saint and spiritual writer who specialised in writing about friendship as an image of the relationship between god and each person.
Spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx 323 ratings, 4. Contemplation as way of seeing, support of spiritual direction. It starts as a dialogue between aelred and ivo, with a third, christ, present with them. Friendship, aelred teaches, is both a gift from god and a creation of human effort. Writing shortly after aelred of rievaulx died in 1167, walter daniel, his secretary and fellow monk, has created the picture of aelred which endures to this day. Mar 09, 2015 but in his early twenties, while on a mission to york on behalf of the archbishop at the time, aelred encountered a new monastery at rievaulx in the county of yorkshire. True spiritual friendship, friendship that incarnates christ among us, perfects love. The life of aelred of rievaulx, written by his faithful friend walter daniel. Aelred of rievaulx asks us to carry on the everdynamic mission of the incarnation. Aelred of rievaulx, abbot society of archbishop justus.
The alchemist is more than a book and has taken on a life. During his abbacy he built rievaulx into a place of spiritual welcome and physical prosperity, desiring to make it a mother of mercy to those in need. In a threebook ciceronian dialogue aelred defines human friendship as sacramental. Apr 16, 2009 the highest level of friendship is based on christs new commandment of love, a spiritual friendship attained through conforming to christ by wholesome interaction, without thought of gain. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. Of noble birth, aelred was reared at the court of king david i of scotland, whose life. The young monastery of rievaulx certainly needed aelred s experience in diplomacy and royal etiquette, his ability in english, latin, and the norman french. In 14, he gave up all of his luxuries to join the cistercian monastery at rievaulx where he was eventually elected abbot, a position he would hold until his death. The first clairvaux collection, adventall saints, translated by theodore berkeley and m. Aelred of rievaulx possessed a personal charm which drew friends and disciples naturally to him. Only in passing do we glimpse the ambitious young steward at the court of king david of scotland, the.
This journey is worth understanding and undertaking as it can and should lead to what chervin accurately depicts as a foretaste of heaven. All these dying millions have a right to come to the knowledge of christ. Read aelred of rievaulx the historical works cistercian fathers ebooks online. Weve created this list of the best spiritual books of all time based on our personal experience, as well as sourced from the worlds top most trusted experts and influencers on spirituality and enlightenment. If youre looking to form healthy christian friendships, learn how these marks of true christian friendship can help you build strong spiritual friendships. I will draw extensively from the works of aelred of rievaulx. Spiritual friendship cistercian fathers book 5 kindle. The seven spiritual laws of success happens to be one of his best works and emphasizes the importance of success. Paulist press, 1980 a practical discussion of the why, what and how of spiritual friendships. A book must be an iceaxe to break the seas frozen inside our soul. His answer is the famous treatise spiritual friendship, 1 three chapters written in a dialogue form examines the relationship between friendship and the love of god. It is amazing to me how much has changed in regards to friendship since aelred of rievaulx wrote spiritual friendship. The latest offering in the classics with commentary series invites readers to enter into one of the great works of the christian tradition that sees friendship as a key to spiritual growth and true.
In his writings on friendship, aelred distinguished three kinds. In every true friendship christ must be in the midst. To aid in our understanding, we are developing and validating a new measure of sexual and religious congruence as well as validating an existing measure of religiosity. Aelred was a monastic who wrote a guidebook about the selection and cultivation of spiritual friendships. Certain readings of the symposium would also assert that to ascend the sublimation ladder from physical to spiritual mean you have. We come to know a man of charity and astonishing sanctity, an ailing abbot whose monks sat chatting around his bed. Mark yarhouse coauthors of costly obedience are interested in learning about the path of reconciling sexual and religious identity conflicts. Reading aelred of rievaulxs little treatise on spiritual friendship as an undergraduate was a lifechanging experience for me. From line of married priests in north of england in late 11th century. Mindy caliguire is the founder of soul care, a spiritual formation ministry that exists to increase soul health in the body of christ.
A practical theology of spiritual direction by chatfield, adrian, rooms, nigel isbn. Ronda chervin brilliantly outlines the course, the associated bumps, and ultimate goals of authentic friendship in the spirit. Spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx goodreads. Patricia carroll ocso draws our attention to aelred of rievaulx, a cistercian. The laws themselves arent groundbreaking but rather, familiar, but that is precisely what makes it appealing. While love is universal, freely given to all, friendship is a particular love between individuals, of which the example is jesus and john the beloved disciple. Aelred of rievalux work on spiritual friendship presents the most noble presentation of friendship i have ever read. It will inspire the readers own spiritual journey while simultaneously providing instruction on how to be a spiritual friend and director for others. Writing in the style of a platonic dialog aelred builds off of the insights of cicero, the writings of the church fathers, his own experience of life in common as well as his experience of the depths of friendship in order to present this series of dialogs on the joys of friendship. In this scholarly work sommerfeldt does not limit himself to aelreds doctrine of spiritual friendship but by a wide range of quotes and references to the abbots many writings he presents a comprehensive view of the cistercians religious teaching. In fact it is so noble, incredible and rare that one could say that he refers to intimacies between persons so great that contemporary culture would be inclined to describe such relations as being soul mates or kindred spirits. Spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx books on. And, the differences are plain to see as one reads.
Spiritual friendship by aelred of rievaulx is one of the all time classic books of devotion to christ. At first sight, much of the book seems to consist of a tapestry of biblical texts. Liberty christian ministries inc recommended for you. Spiritual direction moves beyond mere moral lifestyle accountability and goes deeper than popular notions of mentoring or discipling. Jul 07, 2010 liberty 2015 conference spiritual friendship, living in love with wesley hill duration. I went to rievaulx out of gratitude for that witness. Spiritual friendship is today the best known and perhaps most influential of the thirteen surviving works of aelred, abbot of the great english cistercian abbey of rievaulx from 11471167. It has powerful teachings and exercises that guide you to release past patterns, emotional responses, and negativity so you can experience a powerful shift. What aelred discovered is that happiness does not exist without friendship. In 1147 he became abbot of rievaulx, a post which he held until his death of kidney disease twenty years later at the age of 57. Autobiography of a yogi is a beautifully written and highly inspirational account of an exceptional life, and a profound introduction to the ancient science of yoga and meditation. Through prayerful, guided attunement to gods activity, sacred companions provide.
Aelred, a 12thcentury cistercian abbot, insists that we need to test our beliefs about friendship with scripture. Understanding spiritual friendship in aelred of rievaulx. When i was still just a lad at school, and the charm of my companions pleased me very much, i gave my whole soul to affection and devoted myself to love amid the ways and vices with which that age is wont to be threatened, so that nothing seemed. Spiritual friendship musings on god, friendship, relationships. Spiritual friendship in 300 words spiritual friendship. The 20 best spiritual books of all time selfhealing. This kind of friendship is important because it is humanising, and raises the two friends to love of god through their love for each other. Grows out of his work with the shalem community and their use and promotion of spiritual friendship as a means of faith development. Spiritual friendship is contrasted with carnal or worldly friendship in this work.
The list below is full of a wide variety of spiritual reads that will absolutely change the way you think about and view life. Liberty 2015 conference spiritual friendship, living in love with wesley hill duration. In a very real way this desire is another aspect of the god of genesis decreeing that it is not good for man to be alone. The best spiritual books must haves on your spiritual reading list. The book club that i am a part of recently read and discussed this work and i was surprised to hear that very few people felt that it was relevant to their relationships or even all that interesting.