Ambrose of Milan, Christian Sage

Ambrose of Milan, long cast into the shadows of the Western intellectual tradition, deserves more attention. Ambrose holds that the purpose of life is to reach eternity. That is attained by happily attending to life’s meaning: the duty to serve the common good. Being the first Senator-Bishop, Ambrose naturally melds philosophy with the Scriptures in a creative vision of eternal life already experienced in this life. This intriguing and intricate theology holds together in a creative tension seemingly contrary concepts, such as duty and freedom, merit and grace. At the heart of his enterprise is misericordia, which means a moral reset by being forgiven, that we learn to forgive others, and that we offer benevolent justice, especially to the marginalized, future generations, and the earth itself. Resourcing Ambrosian theology offers the Church and civil society a fresh and positive response to those forces which drive us apart.