Constructing an Ecclesial Community: Ambrose's Ethical Vision
Constructing an Ecclesial Community: Ambrose's Ethical Vision
By the late 380s, Ambrose had emerged, to some extent, from the struggle to assert his authority that had marked his earlier years as bishop, though he still had enemies. De officiis is intended as a moral manifesto for this social context. It contains practical advice on ‘seemly’ behaviour, including speech, body language, attitudes, and actions, and on the importance of controlling the passions through reason. There is a strong emphasis on charity and on self–denial, including sexual abstinence. It is seen as vital for the church to present a convincing appearance to a watching world.
Keywords: ‘Seemly’ behaviour, body language, charity, passions, self–denial, sexual abstinence, speech
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .
