Age-old debates over self-love and self-denial continue to
preoccupy the Christian community. Many see self-love as
incompatible with the self-sacrifice of Christ, while feminists and
liberation theologians contest the notion that self-sacrifice is
the test of authentic Christian love. The resolution to this
dilemma, argues Gerald W. Schlabach, lies with St. Augustine.
In this engaging book, Schlabach examines how Augustine
reconciled self-love and self-denial in a unified Christian love.
He demonstrates the crucial role that continence played in
Augustine's teaching, showing it to be more than an attitude toward
sexuality; rather it is the operative mode of Augustinian
caritas.
Addressing historical theology, contemporary Christian ethics,
feminism, and pastoral considerations, Schlabach traces the role
that self-denial played in Augustine's teaching. He argues that
Augustine's integration of self-love and self-denial suggests that
one can distinguish true Christian self-denial from mere
victimization, and that the good we seek when we love -- whether
directed toward neighbor, enemy, or self -- is not self-serving but
rather a participation in a mutual relationship with God and his
creation.
Through this critical retrieval of Augustine's thought,
Schlabach shows that self-denial is meaningful only when ordered to
a higher good, as when Christ endured the suffering of the cross
"for the joy set before him". He demonstrates practical
applications of how charity working through continence can maintain
right self-love and proper self-denial in our daily lives, and
proposes that Christian self-sacrifice is a willing acceptance of a
good derived from working on behalf ofothers.
Schlabach rediscovers a unity of Christian love and opens up new
resources even for skeptical readers who may not consider
themselves Augustinians. His work offers provocative reading for
all who are concerned with keeping their lives and work rooted in
the Christian tradition.
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