Friendship and the Moral Life

Paul J. Wadell, C.P., is associate professor of religious studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin.

". . . warm and engaging . . . useful to those interested in virtue theory and the philosophy of love." -Ethics "In the central inspiration of his book, in his conviction that friendship is central to the naturally and supernaturally moral life, Wadell is simply right." -Review of Politics ". . . recommended to the general reader. [Wadell] takes as a model for the moral life the common and universal experience of friendship and introduces his project in an engaging, personal, and anecdotal style." -America "This book offers both a substantive discussion of friendship in the Christian life and an approach to method in Christian ethics. A clear and helpful addition to the literature on friendship and deserves attention." -Religious Studies Review "Wadell writes with a fascinating style and a sensitive interaction with family and community. His book catches the Bible's expectations of a chosen people, sustained by an unconditional loyalty and strong ties of blood, in order to love God with one's whole heart." -The Bible Today "Wadell has made a convincing case for the necessity of rediscovering Aristotelian and Christian moral principles, particularly those concerning friendship. He demonstrates, with the seasoning of deep personal insight, that seeing friendship with God as the end of the moral life, and friendship with others as indispensable to achieving that goal, is crucial for achieving a full understanding of the moral life." -Review of Metaphysics