Avant-propos - Studia Moralia

THE HEALING ROLE OF FRIENDSHIP 81
society. His beautiful description of the collateral relationship
between man and woman, moreover, contrasts sharply with the
predominant hierarchical view of the day. Aelred considers
friendship before the fall to be coextensive with the life if charity.
In this state, it is the “medicine of life” not in the sense of
healing (since there is no need of it), but in the sense of bringing
ongoing strength and sustenance to one’s life. Aelred uses the
doctrine of creation to point to an original compatibility of the
dual love of friendship (amicitia) and charity (caritas). Even today,
this usage causes its readers to reflect upon the origins of
these loves, the reasons for their present dissonance, and the
orientation they have toward the future.
6. Although Aelred does not devote a great deal of space to it
in his treatise, the doctrine of the fall plays a significant role in
his understanding of friendship as the “medicine of life.” The fall
of Adam disrupts the original relationship of harmony between
charity and friendship within humanity. This fall from grace results
in a corresponding disruption in the relationship between
God and humanity and unleashes the powerful force of concupiscence
in the heart of every human being. The doctrine of the
fall provides an important part of the theological rationale for
Aelred’s teaching on friendship. Deeply wounded by Adam’s fall,
human nature is in desperate need of healing. Even after Christ’s
redemptive action, humanity still suffers from the horrible effects
of original sin. Spiritual friendship helps people to experience
in their lives the concrete fruits of Christ’s redemption. Its
curative powers tame the unruly emotions of the heart and enable
people to live in one another – and with God.
7. The healing of humanity’s wound, of course, comes primarily
through the redemptive suffering of Christ, which
reestablishes a basis for friendship between the human and the
divine. Spiritual friendship is again made possible only because
Jesus, out of loving obedience to the Father, has laid down his
life for his friends (cf. Jn 15:13). Without this gratuitous act of
self-offering, the harmony between charity and friendship would
never be able to be brought back into harmony. For Aelred, the
doctrine of the redemption creates the possibility for a renewed
relationship of friendship between God and humanity. It is this
renewed relationship with Jesus that heals humanity of its deadly
wounds and gives it a new lease on life. In this respect, a per-