OS 9 St. Thomas Aquinas and the Christian Understanding of Friendship Patrick Quinn ‘The Social and Theological Importance of Friendship Wien we examine Aquinas views on fendi, its not to dict » dec immediatly that his account follows closely on that of Aste Stout inthe eighth and ninth books of the Nicomachean Ethie. Th ‘Specialy uve of those passages where Ageinas analyses the hun ‘qualities that constitute riendly ‘eltionships although Anstte’s Infuece isnot whol absent ether from te Thome eaten of he thesia implications of fienship. Bu, though it coud be sil hat Thomas account of human fendhip is effectively o more than «ep tion and development of Arstode's views, wht difcetntes his ew fom the later the theological content which Aquinas bles groundt all authentic forms of fendiess. This might be summed up by sayin that, eventhough, like Aristotle, Aquinas clay values fendship a8 ‘sapremely soil vie, he insists at ti lime rote nthe seca ‘lationship which Go has with human beings and, more fandametly, ‘ith Himself. This relationship is characterise by such guitar god: ‘es and love which, in tum provide all utenti cdl elas ‘with te kind of onlogicl basis hat confers on them what Aguas Dercives tobe thir distinct thologial character. Any account of be ‘homie testment of fendbip mur consequently take no conse sion tis divine foundation which he believes grounds all atentc Imaifeations ofthis relationship and which, i paul, scoring 10 ‘Aina, pres the Cristian formu of feds. St Thomas teateat ofthe divine roots of fendship i therfore of ‘Pariculr intrest ot only for what i sayy about the nature of Godt ‘elaionhip with human beings but, perhape more notably, for what i ‘reveals ofthe Thomisic view of the ner dynamics of divine existence ‘lf. According this, God's relationship with Hint can be pinay ‘eine interme of endship. This ena the very bert ofthe divine ie pe ih « point of departure wich wil allow bien ee Sig tery of G8 sow De mY PT 0 Gd, ts £00 tae Shans hcory of friendship, when api 0 On sm soars Senne tentip is manifested not only ua teeter ae wane see Saracen es cocoa Seeysioeren i en ntemmno sen, eee ream meen any art Sareea ramen me setae sat esoceace ne ebenpeteriee ora team te inomen en Conia mmongancaree sch seme rs i ‘oe mao is Noe eae re coe tenaty sen remeiner hecho et 1 Cog 2 a Se cs Powar be bis sane sine Tt Sent by wean of God's en ‘ithe rear Summa Core Genes {Gat pet that aks 0 ‘amateur contempt of stbrlendahip East and West Article 2 of Question 114 ako undetnes the sci importance of eigenen roses a ins mote gearal way lave cen oer obligation, sh Font nee at dtp banyan yi once oueeie Sioa ee ‘way that we relate to our friends i anot ens ies = sais ema moet cst as eae — aren: oe enrmareee eae enn cemereeeie Sacre eto ee Sas coecmn torent Seacnomcurerscee Sees eeioem eaten socom Sierra teeta ‘example of happiness in play where one prt of eee eriaeni ead Sees Se te rn Saeriaseemee mitt eee Panocareleerrenninerennn rey Sensei encrgenoms sorta Seabee aime stanae a Ecosse m pins an the Chisin Understanding of Friends? yt ety tins import te eet Oe ey ety ae ith Ai oes sic amen wns commen nd amc rare ent rene ea Th en Agus bs ck 3 = St cen ommny ote fs ering ts TN ee pace ler! te men: seein ih ee iy cad of eae wT Fo Seared women. 8 ate romps wold provide no ey i rere ane wie oie ae Std we in ty ven expe ah a i non omen et is ene evo tne a eee sees Sores oon Serge in i Gas pain en scene ae Serenata grec Soe Soon nde es wom center Serecnanrans Selectors co Sumecaeaeseae tae tare Stee eee coer “enc tn Beet “ered ite ey se of en mnt a was aroma Seca ag eee ees torte et eam ogueons ceo unity ut respecte ince Teint offices is a unity of ee senn geome < sansa o eae me ea ‘Svendsen acts ae Cormeen evar Agare toe Tacsson bee but purses Hs anal aFriendship East and West eins ch more profound and divine aspects tit Sah Somer yep he mk ih ria 5 Sat of chi be nd S72 cm sae pn alles ane nrepresene theatre riendip and Caritas, In hip ofthe Summa The fi rat of he Simm The Agiti nes ht nd of sci ex wes ein ania) and ctor) nd ftv tough he cacao qualify t Using Arto’ ews poof deat Ths es that te sort a love ome) which on esens Eo tegen tated ts idea core oud or smeting gd for ourselves nde ciessscampler ef be ater the love of wie or bores. As es, Aquinas uses the etm concypscet 0 dente nl ies fh Kind and ema ta wot a toy tt we hve fen fr wite is here! Ag a leven might gure with he itr xan, he ea don of wht scams clear enough, which that fends ple sre som abe nat of well : iors mali ano thre mse pty Thi imi commu Saee Sia neteemen ae me rion that the friendly overt eseeeden tate “ron are cen ined nd edb Ga di hn oe enon maces Saslidaedaameaieenes Cee pins an he Cristin Understanding of Fries chart: wherefore ‘aa for God. ini tha charity isthe friendship of san (srm23.) the bass of wort, both individ! this Kd of iPro STH ‘site ropes wih a forms eee ters ante imeresing 8 shee agama spy wo be second jen ere Te quran 0 how pom a ect necpoct cur vere of Seni. TS Se ea and proirl ine: Cns a ea) ordre ie Sbenma pone, SIAL add bree two woof eA Si ore the Sr rue Poin ou FS St Fig me we wh we ely 204 we Se ow ir ep exis, Sas ai cain S a ae ree veo me boa 1 The OTE AS, coe ee i anal te ehh WO OT a a ery of cooing cds hen et Jose cso swe em Ser bring or ee nde eyo el ere che eae of ving crs commis, SE, Teme a oved by God Who oven ee me onthe fan of God if we ouralves im femcial bain, Aguinas seus it, which tologs vm cet red Sth wee ters tee emt ahs ee weep ernie mameeee emma octet adnan News mete ee sen il oe ar et Oc eect eters yocesrmccemee ayer me ne of wenn ea msFriendohip East and West Caritas repaid asa piary vite by Aquinas because God iis Brimaryabjectiveas the Being in Whom onc can find rt (871.230, This vitwe is all-embracing and also includes one's neighbour STIH25.), oot to mention one's enemies (S-TH-1.258) and al sinners (§TI-i125 6), St Thomas makes special pint ofncdng te aman body in his ist (S-U-255) and be unequrvealy dele th ‘he body is not naturally evil though ts coreplay he cai the basison which the friendship of carta rts. hiss Go, the uma source fom which all happiness ows (STI-I125 12), Our Siendsip with God evokes sabjectve rejoicing claims Thomas. and wear cme ford in ll our arships and worldly afictons(SC.G1V 22) Friendship and the Nature of Ged However, although Aquinas regards our fiip for God a ting of Peranount importance fer our own general web esos an cen we profound dimension of fcnhip in tion wo how err tin ede eine He undetines this pectin what heey bout God ning one (Gola) sliay tari) im STL313 a1 God enpngs i aces social ie which occurs a the very tna of divine easeace Th wat onstines God's primary scaly so tht even in the company of al angels ad the besifid sou, God, according w Aquinas, woul sl remain in abohtesotode wee i pt fo the plurality of Dine Resxs, The implica i that interpersonal raion, with all hat ty cle in ‘ers of mutual equality, are more dese than sli acta ni highest manifestation, hs pence apis even Go Hise Unt in lalty exis init most perf fom nhs divine Tiny adits hee at God mysteriously gives eyreson to His own ray fem which Bere xiii the divine sprit bond of lve Aguas ut daa at these areal relationships n God (S728 1), setaly Sine ad eal ‘ach ter (S7.1282) while yt beng distinct (S7.1283) Mos ingot, ts network of inrperona reaceships denotes the existence of tice Divine Peon On this po, be argues hatte fr peren perona) ‘fine a subsist india of raonal mate, spice wit mont Perit inal ofrature, God mast have hs efton ina mach moe excl ‘ay tan cetres do (S293). He ato diialy of knowing how ‘appt the erm pronto the Trntarian God bt clans fat he pons "solve i we rad the disc divine reltnsip th rig Gt ‘sbssent ones mpi in al of th of ose, he spect of tna ‘Such the themes which form the background to Agua’ dscesson ofhow God canbe fiends with Himself On the face oft ows scm as ‘God is behaving in a somewhat aries ftion when He said to 76 nd the Chan ee eee en rent Se man te die Tats oP itt ine tn mes Steen ea featetirine wh gaat in = weer Fart asap pee mpcenon Deeteem te waingie stare sar cas ioalbr os aaa Sec re od nb ed PEAY lest saree gin Sly wih co ne 1 See Soe and lve peceierereny. Sere “ree Primacy of Fendi soup of to stn nw be et Aas ont nti ‘enti of te Se ST ds, ea ‘ot ine Tao nt Se eee ene niyo Tere rey are tere tne etn eben ne errmn ie eo ‘ive individuality of each PEO a givine- human 7" ‘ate he oe oa to God, ‘tend ost opine a ie Sythe vine wownd of alife ise can be understood ae if of intense and perc fiends, 5 we have seen. Its iner dynamics ate depced as a mysterious sto interpersonal relationships which are dogmatically proclaimed for St Thomas th Chrisian believer, nthe dotine ofthe Ty. Thi teaching hat God is xsntaly and priarily a sociable being Who exresse he fulness of friendship in the divine life elf the mc for bomen ‘mutt. Gods endl relationships wit mankind, which mayor ay ot be reciprocated, re manifestations ofthis divine goodness sad son ste the theological bass, a we ave sid ofan atitdeof fiends towards ater, ven our enemies. Oe might ask ere how God's en. ship wth human beings can ever manifest equality whic, n other contcts, signify for Aquias an important fetre of ftendship: However if one allows the direction of St Thoma thinking onthe subject, perhaps the swe ics in the godess of God Who not only pratucusly crated human beings but also provides them with the capacity to shat in he vine ile itself by being destined to sce God's cosence inthe heal Allof this lo indicates something ofthe distance between the inking of Aguins and that of Aristotle onthe subject of fenhip while rapt ing the evident sands ofconiuity linking them both ‘The distance definitively theological Is St.Thomas’ partir understanding ot how ‘Goi present trough fendi hat enables im to pursue the Seton ‘is engiis took even nto the most dificult ren of Christan lita ofthe Tiny. From amore comemporay point of view:perhaps Ait "ot valuable contribution tothe ani of endship might be sen ini constnt fort to provides theorti justifinton of ts importance as 2 ‘wprenely worthwhile socal viru which brings about selP-tansecndence through concer forthe ther. Ins dong, endship lao humans the "networks of relationships in which we participate and arguably revel 0 ‘the posits of more perfect state of communal co-existence than that which we pest en. Notes Se Sona Thole, Pt 1, Queso 3, Ai 3 spy Obj eenater Tia sad 4 Stasi srw-mtnaiea a i of Friendship the Christin Understanding See en ech oe nied Wt 1 Tes nos x, that comeupuscenta 1 Gum oo 2»