
On the Duties of the Clergy
'On the Duties of the Clergy' Summary
On the Duties of the Clergy was published in about 391 AD. It was written to motivate the clergy of his diocese so that they would conduct their lives in a manner appropriate to their vocation. With his immense background in the Classics, Ambrose modeled his treatise on Cicero's De Officiis. Hence, the Latin title of his work is De Officiis Ministorum.
He begins by reiterating that what he is about to say has already been taught to his clergy, but he would like to refresh their memory and ensure that they have indeed imbibed the right lessons. One of the devices he uses to convey his teachings is by replacing the old Roman heroes with Old Testament saints. On The Duties... is divided into three main books. In the first book he describes duties which are “ordinary” and those which are “perfect.” Duties to parents, elders, and the cardinal virtues are discussed here. In the second book, he looks at the “expedient” aspects of life. The third book deals with “duties of perfection.” He exhorts the clergy to consider not only what is duty, or perfect or expedient, but to ascertain what is good for all.
As an early piece of ecclesiastical writing, On the Duties of the Clergy makes interesting reading whether you're drawn to religious writings or not.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
Published In
391Authors

Saint Ambrose
Rome
Ambrose venerated as Saint Ambrose, was the Bishop of Milan, a theologian, and one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. Ambrose was serving as the Roman governor of Aemil...
Books by Saint AmbroseDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide (St. Matthew's Gospel Chaps I - IV) by Cornelius à Lapide
Cornelius Cornelii a Lapide was born in Belgium. He became a priest in 1595 and taught philosophy, and Hebrew, while also preaching and administering...

The Golden Bough. A Study in Magic and Religion. Part 2. Taboo and the Perils of the Soul by James Frazer
The third volume of The Golden Bough. The term Taboo is one of the very few words which the English language has borrowed from the speech of savages....

The History of the Church of Christ: Century III by Joseph Milner
The book covers the history of Christianity in the third century AD, a period marked by significant developments and controversies within the Church....

His Big Opportunity by Amy Le Feuvre
This heartwarming children's story explores the themes of faith, kindness, and the importance of using opportunities to help others. Two young boys,...

Windhover by Gerard Manley Hopkins
“The Windhover” is a sonnet written by Gerard Manley Hopkins, a renowned English poet of the Victorian era. This poem, considered one of Hopkins's fin...

The Persian Hidden Words by Bahuallah
The Hidden Words is written in the form of a collection of short aphorisms, 71 in Arabic and 82 in Persian, in which Baháʼu'lláh claims to have taken...

Seven Roads to Hell by Various
This book explores the concept of the seven deadly sins, also known as the capital sins. It argues that these sins are not abstract concepts but repre...

Lectures on Butler's Analogy by Thomas Chalmers
It is a series of lectures on the theological work of Joseph Butler, "The Analogy of Religion, Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of...

The Posthumous Essays of John Churton Collins by John Churton Collins
John Churton Collins was a literary critic who lived from 1848-1908. In 1904 John Collins became professor of English literature at Birmingham Univers...

Binsey Poplars by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Binsey Poplars is a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, an English poet and Jesuit priest. The poem is a meditation on the beauty of nature, and on the rel...
Reviews for On the Duties of the Clergy
No reviews posted or approved, yet...