In his brief, On the Four Wills in Christ, Hugh of St. Victor (d. 1141) offers a carefully nuanced depiction of Jesus’ human nature that showcases his human capacity for compassion. Hugh is keen, however, not only to underscore Jesus’ human capacity for compassion but also to identify such fellow-feeling as the signature attribute of ideal human nature. Accordingly, one finds throughout the Victorine’s corpus that, on this christological basis, Hugh advocates an ethic of compassion for human beings generally.
Hugh of St. Victor on Jesus Wept: Compassion as Ideal Humanitas
- First Published September 1, 2008
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