Avant-propos - Studia Moralia

my affection, that from an inferior I made him my companion,
from a companion a friend, from a friend my most cherished of
friends.” 50
The need for all of this practical advice arises out of Aelred’s
keen awareness of the various pitfalls before anyone who seeks
to enter into a friendship with another person that is rooted in
Christ. It is also why Book Three (where this practical advice occurs)
is the longest part of the treatise and generally the most
widely read.
Observations
THE HEALING ROLE OF FRIENDSHIP 79
Given the above literary and theological contexts, as well as
accompanying applications to Aelred’s understanding of goodness,
the kiss of friendship, and the need for practical advice
about entering into and sustaining such a bond, a number of observations
are in order.
1. To begin with, Aelred’s teaching on friendship and his lively
conversation with Ivo, Walter, and Gratian encourage the
reader to examine the quality of his or her own personal relationships.
Aelred adapts the dialogue form to suit his practical,
experiential concerns for entering into the friendship of Christ.
He does so by presenting his readers with a number of possibilities
regarding the range of spiritual friendships available to
them and by urging them, at least implicitly, to be aware of their
own potential for entering into and maintaining such relationships.
By engaging his own active imagination and helping the
other characters of dialogue to do the same, Aelred raises questions,
makes suggestions, and opens possibilities that may inspire
the reader to embark on a similar process of reflection.
2. When going through the treatise, one gets the strong sense
that the written conversation reflects a conversation going on in
Aelred’s mind which, in turn, has its roots in actual conversations
with his friends. Aelred’s dialogue, in other words, is the
fruit not only of his real-life friendships with Ivo, Walter, and
50 DSA 3:122 [CCCM 1:346(1001-4); SF 127].