2022 Southwestern Journal of Theology Book Award for Discipleship & Spiritual Formation
The letters of Augustine offer a window into his life. They showcase a theologian on the run, working through difficult pastoral issues. They also show another side of Augustine: the theologian as friend.
In A Bond between Souls: Friendship in the Letters of Augustine, Coleman M. Ford examines Augustine’s understanding of friendship. For Augustine, friendship is the overflow of love and is essential for building Christlike virtue. Friendship differs by context and relationship but is fundamentally rooted in the reality that, in Christ, friendship with God has been restored. In this sense, friendship is fundamentally a spiritual exercise.
With original research rooting Augustine’s letter-writing, theology, and understanding of friendship in antiquity, A Bond between Souls helps readers to understand this doctor of the church in a deeper way.
This book opens up the private world of a very public man and deepens our understanding of one of the greatest theologians of all time.
–Gerald Bray, research professor, Beeson Divinity School
Studies in Historical and Systematic Theology is a peer-reviewed series of contemporary monographs exploring key figures, themes, and issues in historical and systematic theology from an evangelical perspective.
Learn more about the other titles in this series.
Coleman M. Ford serves as assistant professor of humanities at Texas Baptist College in Fort Worth, Texas.