Human love is implicated in divine love

Bond of Perfection
Chapter-by-Chapter

Group Three:
Brian Rebholtz
Tresphord Chisanga
Sung Han Lee

What’s New

We were struck by Wend Wright’s analysis of why male-female spiritual friendships were so deeply formative. Her argument, basically, is that in a world where male-female interactions are limited and proscribed, cultivating a friendship outside those boundaries enables both parties to radically depart from their standard ways of relating. It is part of the contemplative process of stripping away layers of self and opening to Christ.

The “language of desire” and the “language of death” are insightful categories for describing the contemplative language of relating to God. This was especially insightful for Sung Han, who was challenged by the notion of using “death” as a metaphoric process of encountering God.

What’s Challenging

Is spiritual friendship the trans-historical category W. Wright thinks it is? It seems to us that St. Francis and St. Jane de Chantal may be developing a very particular theology of spiritual friendship that cannot be applied retroactively to earlier examples of male-female relationships among celibates/vowed religious.

Is the notion of a friendship “totally consecrated to God” too narrow? It seems to us that St. Francis and St. Jane de Chantal were able to focus so narrowly on the spiritual life because they were 1) apart for such long periods of time and 2) communicating through letters, which is a very distinct medium of interaction. But what if St. F and St. J had lived in the same town their whole lives? Could they have discussed trivial matters like the weather and discussed their lives casually over a meal and still be considered true spiritual friends? It seems that the model being offered negates many aspects of mundane, everyday life as being part of the God-centered life.

What’s Confirming

We appreciated W. Wright’s understanding of human love and divine love. Ultimately, Wright argues that these two realities cannot be separated. Human love is implicated in divine love, for divine love is its source, not its opposite.

Submitted by Brian Rebholtz
Photo by Joe Boenzi: Brian Rebholtz in class (22 October 2009)