Pablo Irizar Livres

Augustine's exploration of human identity is rooted in the concept of being created in God's image, which serves as a foundation for understanding human dignity. This volume delves into Augustine's insights on individuality and community, highlighting the tension between personal identity and increasing individualism in contemporary society. It offers a thoughtful analysis of how Augustine's ideas can be applied to modern discussions about the interconnectedness of individuals within a community.

From the closure of churches during the pandemic, and therefore in the absence of a community of worship, arises the pressing theological question: what does it mean to belong 'from a distance'? Although many have reacted to this question by providing virtual alternatives for activities and by reaffirming solidarity in times of hardship, a theological response requires articulating the effects of quarantine and distancing on what it means to belong in the Church. Fundamentally, what does it mean to belong, and is it possible to belong anew after the pandemic? This book addresses these questions by carefully drawing from the thought of Augustine of Hippo, whose life and thought fittingly echoes the course of our times.

What is love, what kinds of love are there, how do these relate, and how does the Christian tradition articulate the problem of love in view of the triangulation of self, neighbour and God? In short, what is the relationship between human love (eros) and divine love (agape)? This is the problem of love at the heart of the Chrisitan tradition in which God is love (1 Jn 4.8). A historical overview shows that four models have addressed the problem of love in tradition: univocity, equivocity, analogy and metamorphosis. In the first, eros and agape collapse into one reality. According to the second, eros and agape are mutually exclusive realities. In the third model, eros and agape relate in terms of similarities and only to a limited degree. The model of metamorphosis orients desire towards an integrative and higher transformation of eros and agape. This book develops the model of metamorphosis based on a philosophical reading of „On the Song of Songs“ by Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153).