Christian Friendship in the Fourth Century

Description

This study presents the evidence, derived from letters and theological works, for theories of Christian friendship as they were developed by the leading fourth-century Church Fathers, both in East and West. The author attempts to find out how consistent and positive is the picture of friendship between Christians at the time, and considers friendship in the context of the relation between pagan theory and Christian ideas. All of the writers considered had a profound influence on later ages as well as on their own period.

"No other book like hers is available in English, and her fine work fills a big gap. Students can be sent to it with the confidence that they will understand it, and scholars will find it a useful source and judicious summary."-Joseph T. Lienhard, SJ, Speculum "...interesting and scholarly...White offers her readers a balanced, scholarly, and interesting overview of her topic." Roland J. Teske, Theological Studies