God’s justice is never vengeance—it is restoration. Augustine writes with pastoral warmth about welcoming Donatist clergy into the Church, honoring what was true in them while healing what was divided (Letter LX). Clement follows with a sober meditation on eating and drinking, teaching that every appetite must bow to wisdom and that temperance guards both body and soul (The Instructor, Book 2, Chapter 1). Aquinas brings the discussion into the human heart itself, showing that anger is not evil by nature but a “special passion” that, when ruled by reason, becomes zeal for righteousness (Summa Theologica, Part 2–2, Question 46, Article 1). Each work calls us to mastery—not suppression—of our impulses, that the Spirit might govern what sin once ruled.
Readings:
Augustine, Letters, LX
Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor, Book 2, Chapter 1
Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 2–2, Question 46, Article 1
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