Are you sure your sources don't refer to God, self, and neighbor? These
three, in that order, are the "order of charity" (ordo caritatis). There
is indeed a long and interesting tradition (about which I hope to
publish). The tradition developed in the context of commentary on Song of
Songs 2:4, "ordinavit in me caritatem." One strand, beginning with
Origen, took the proper order of the charity commanded by the gospel to be
to love first God, then one's neighbors, beginning with those closest to
you. Another strand, beginning with Augustine's De doctrina christiana,
specified four objects of a correctly ordered love: God, self, neighbor,
body.
I gave a paper on this tradition at last year's Kalamazoo, which I can
send to you, if you wish.
Teresa Rupp
Department of History
Mount Saint Mary's College
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
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On Fri, 2 Apr 1999, Cecilia Gaposchkin wrote:
>
> To this erudite list, I ask a question which will no doubt reveal my own
> ignorance.
>
> In my sources I keep coming accross the theme of my saint being just
> [rectus, iustus] with regard to God, neighbor, and self. My guess is that
> this is an old medieval trope (Bernard of Clairveaux? Augustine? Paul?).
> Could someone please enlighten me as to the tradition of this scheme? Is
> this something which has been written about?
>
> Many thanks in advance-
> Cecilia Gaposchkin
> UCB History
>
>
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