When did Bernard of Clairvaux write on loving God?
c. 1128. . De diligendo Dei [On loving God] (in Latin).
What is the degrees of love?
Love comes in degrees. There is no right degree of love. You can always love someone more or less than you do. The idea that love comes in degrees gives us a way of understanding affection constituted by both conscious and unconscious elements.
What are the four natural affections?
The four loves
- Storge – empathy bond.
- Philia – friend bond.
- Eros – romantic love.
- Agape – unconditional “God” love.
How does Bernard describe what it means to love God?
– Bernard says that loving God is what happens when we realize that God is who he is, and because he loves his creation, his creation is to love him. He goes on to say that nothing is more profitable or reasonable because he gave us his one, and only son, so that we had a chance to live and gain eternal life.
What did Bernard of Clairvaux do?
The French churchman St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) was a Cistercian monk and founder and abbot of the monastery of Clairvaux. A theologian and Doctor of the Church, he dominated Europe through his eloquence and his counselling of popes and rulers.
Why was Bernard of Clairvaux important?
He exhorted Pope Eugenius to stress his role as spiritual leader of the church over his role as leader of a great temporal power, and he was a major figure in church councils. His greatest literary endeavour, “Sermons on the Canticle of Canticles,” was written during this active time.
Who are my enemies according to the Bible?
In the Bible, my enemy is someone who does not like me, someone who wants to do me harm, never someone I don’t like or to whom I want to do harm. In fact, He said we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Mt 5:44).
How does Aquinas distinguish reason from faith?
Aquinas sees reason and faith as two ways of knowing. These truths about God cannot be known by reason alone. Faith builds on reason. Since faith and reason are both ways of arriving at truth — and since all truths are harmonious with each other — faith is consistent with reason.
What does sire mean when he says we should each name our own elephant?
polytheism. What does Sire mean when he says we should each name our own elephant? The elephant is a metaphor for one’s worldview.
What is the meaning of Bernard?
Bernard (Bernhard) is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic Bernhard is composed from the two elements bern “bear” and hard “brave, hardy”. The name Bernhard was notably popular among Old Frisian speakers.
What is love according to Bernard?
Love is the dominant theme in all Bernard’s writings. The treatise, De Diligendo Deo (On 4 fLoving God), written for Aimeric, a cardinal deacon of the Church of Rome, sets out Bernard’s thinking on the degrees of love, to which I will turn in some detail in the later part of this essay.
What is Bernard of Clairvaux’s four degrees of Love?
Bernard of Clairvaux offers a corrective both demanding and life-giving, inviting us to a formative progression through his “ four degrees of love.” Bernard ( 1090 − 1153) was one of the great leaders in the history of the Church. He was an eloquent speaker and considered by many to be one of the holiest individuals who ever lived.
What is desire according to Saint Bernard?
For Bernard, desire is the form that love takes in our earthly existence, and God is present in this desire. Bernard is close to twentieth century humanity in his own very evident humanity, and the candour of his self-analysis is appealing. We can identify with him as he speaks to the deepest level of our common human experience.
How does Bernard explore the relationship between the soul and God?
Or as Bernard explores the progress of the relationship with God, he sees the soul’s basic attitude changing from slave, to worker, to pupil, and finally to son (or daughter). Bernard employs two striking images that convey something of the mystical experience. These are ‘the visit’ and ‘the kiss’.