Aelred of Rievaulx 1110 – 1167
Aelred of Rievaulx was an English Cistercian abbot, theologian, and one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the twelfth century. After service at the Scottish royal court, he entered the Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx in Yorkshire and rose to become its third abbot, presiding over an extraordinary period of spiritual and material flourishing. His Spiritual Friendship adapted Cicero's De Amicitia to the Christian life, articulating an account of friendship in which Christ is the third party in every true friendship between human beings. His Mirror of Charity set out a detailed program of the Christian life of love.
Key facts
- Nationality
- English
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Medieval, Christian
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Aelred of Rievaulx:
“He who has friends is rich.”
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Attributed to Aelred of Rievaulx:
“True friendship is grounded in Christ; without him it cannot endure.”
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Attributed to Aelred of Rievaulx:
“Friendship is wisdom, and wisdom is friendship.”
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Attributed to Aelred of Rievaulx:
“Love is the foundation of every virtue.”
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Attributed to Aelred of Rievaulx:
“Where charity is, there is light; where light is, there is life.”