“Love and do what you will.” Tractate 7 of Augustine's Commentary
on the First Letter of John, in the context of his polemic with the Donatists

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Autor/ Author: Marcela Andoková  

In: Kultúrne dejiny

ISSN: 1338-2209 (Print)

ISSN: 2989–3313 (Online)

Ročník/ Volume: 16

Číslo/ Issue: 2

Strany/ Page Range: 250-267

Rok vydania/ Publication Year: 2025

Jazyk/ Language: Slovak

Vydavateľ/ Publisher: VERBUM – vydavateľstvo Katolíckej univerzity v Ružomberku

Abstrakt/ Abstract: The well-known Augustinian dictum “Love and do what you will” originates from the seventh homily of his Commentary on the First Letter of John (In Iohannis epistulam ad Parthos tractatus), written during the Donatist controversy in North Africa. This study situates the homily within Augustine's evolving reflections on the legitimacy of coercion in matters of faith. While Augustine initially rejected the use of violence, his pastoral experience and confrontation with the uncompromising Donatists led him to a nuanced acceptance of physical coercion as a means of correction, provided it was motivated by love. Tractate 7 thus serves as a theological culmination of Augustine's thought on the moral value of actions judged by their intention: the “root of love.” The article examines the interplay between truth, love, and coercion in this text, showing how Augustine redefines disciplinary rigor as an expression of fraternal charity. It also aims to fill a research gap in Slovak Augustinian studies (also by providing the first Slovak translation of Tractate 7) and contribute to current debates on religious tolerance and coercion.

Kľúčové slová/ Keywords: St Augustine, homilies on 1 John, donatist controversy, religious coercion, Christian love

Citácia/ How to cite:

ANDOKOVÁ, Marcela, 2025. „Miluj a rob, čo chceš.“ Siedma homília Augustínovho Komentára k Prvému Jánovmu listu v kontexte jeho polemiky s donatistami. Kultúrne dejiny. Online. Roč. 16, č. 2, s. 250-267. ISSN 1338-2209 (Print). ISSN 2989–3313 (Online). Dostupné na:

Toto dielo je publikované pod/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.