Homo Interior and Vita Socialis: Patristic Patterns and Twelfth-century Reflections (Studia Traditionis Theologiae, 52)

Just as apparently universal ideas of inwardness are different over time, so the idea of the self in relation to others is subject to historical change and dependent on different contexts. Against a shared background of late antique and early medieval Christianity the thinkers who are the subject of this book develop their thoughts of a relational self within their wider concerns. Augustine is the thinker of interiority, but also of the social life. For Augustine, the opacity of others, even of oneself, and how to overcome it, is a main concern. Cassian writes about the ideal of solitude, yet neither the abbas who are the subject of his Conversations, nor his readers can avoid the company of others. For Cassian, human fellowship is instrumental in reaching the desired virtues of detachment, which then enables love for others. Gregory the Great searches for the right balance of the contemplative and the active life, but even the contemplative is not a separate individual. Gregory's instruction of the leaders of the Church emphasises the need to widen in compassion, against the constant danger for the preachers of hypocrisy and the swollenness of pride and arrogance. These three authors were among the most influential sources in later ages. Their echoes resonated in the twelfth century, when a renewed interest in interiority raises the question how the twelfth-century 'inner man' relates to others. Hugh of Saint-Victor, Abelard, and Heloise, are among the writers in whose thoughts we see patristic thought reflected and changed in various ways. Table of Contents 4 Preface 7 Abbreviations 9 General Abbreviations 9 Biblical books 9 Augustine 10 Cassian 10 Gregory the Great 11 Abelard 11 Abelard and Heloise 11 Hugh of Saint-Victor 11 Marbod of Rennes 12 Sulpicius Severus 12 Introduction 13 Chapter One: Detained in Human Society 21 Augustine 21 Introduction 21 Social Life and its Discontents 23 Private Self and Social Life 28 Opacity and Transparence 31 The Remedy of Signs. Inner Master and Outer Words 36 Beyond Language 43 Knowledge and Belief 47 Belief and Love 49 Nobody is Known Unless Through Friendship 54 Chapter Two: The Use of Humana Consortia 57 Cassian 57 Introduction 57 Individual and Community 58 Action and Contemplation 61 Vices and Virtues 64 Caritas and Detachment 67 Virtue and Friendship 70 Broken Promises 72 Reciprocity 73 The World Outside 74 Knowing Other People 75 Discretio, conscientia, and an Inner Core 77 Prayer and Authorship 81 Puritas Cordis. Control and Dependency 83 Hard as Iron, Soft as Wax 86 Chapter Three: The Common Condition 89 Gregory the Great 89 Introduction 89 Influences and Work 90 Vita activa and vita contemplativa 94 Hierarchy and Diversity 98 The Pursuit of Private Praise 102 Profile of the Preacher 105 Introspection 108 Man’s Common Condition 109 Compassio and Caritas 115 Reciprocity 119 Transfer 123 Human Communication 125 Knowing Others 128 ‘This so great human race’ 132 Chapter Four 135 Chapter Four: Patristic Reflections in the Twelfth Century 135 Introduction 135 Homo interior and socialis vita 137 Knowing Self and Others 140 Language 141 The Inner’s Invisibility 144 Intention and Sincerity 145 Example and Fama 149 Vita Activa and Vita Contemplativa 151 Discussing Love 158 Caritas ordinata 163 The Golden Rule 165 Compassion 166 Communiter and Singulariter 169 Patristic Reflections 175 Bibliography 177 Index 192 Biblical Sources 192 Ancient and Medieval Sources 194 Pre-Modern Authors 206 Modern Authors 206 "Just as apparently universal ideas of inwardness are different over time, so the idea of the self in relation to others is subject to historical change and dependent on different contexts. Against a shared background of late antique and early medieval Christianity the thinkers who are the subject of this book develop their thoughts of a relational self within their wider concerns. Augustine is the thinker of interiority, but also of the social life. For Augustine, the opacity of others, even of oneself, and how to overcome it, is a main concern. Cassian writes about the ideal of solitude, yet neither the abbas who are the subject of his Conversations, nor his readers can avoid the company of others. For Cassian, human fellowship is instrumental in reaching the desired virtues of detachment, which then enables love for others. Gregory the Great searches for the right balance of the contemplative and the active life, but even the contemplative is not a separate individual. Gregory's instruction of the leaders of the Church emphasises the need to widen in compassion, against the constant danger for the preachers of hypocrisy and the swollenness of pride and arrogance. These three authors were among the most influential sources in later ages. Their echoes resonated in the twelfth century, when a renewed interest in interiority raises the question how the twelfth-century inner person relates to others. Hugh of Saint-Victor, Abelard, and Heloise, are among the writers in whose thoughts we see patristic thought reflected and changed in various ways." -- Page 4 of cover