Saint Augustine and the communion of persons: The relationship of the Bishop of Hippo's theology of marriage to his theology of the Trinit

St. Augustine's theology of marriage is related to his Trinitarian theology through his understanding of personhood and how persons should relate to each other in love. In his Trinitarian theology Augustine posits a concept of personhood, both divine and human, which enables human beings to understand how we are to relate to each other in our most intimate relationships. The parallel Augustine draws between human personal relations and the divine personal relations of the Trinity posits a relational quality of the human person by which all human persons are to relate to each other in a love that reflects the love of the Trinity. Augustine's theology of marriage should be evaluated in relation to his Trinitarian theology if we are to take Augustine seriously when he says we must imitate the unity of the Persons of the Godhead in our relations with God and with each other. Furthermore, Augustine sees both marriage and the Trinity as a society of persons the essence of whose life is love. Thus, Augustine saw true love as the essence of the Trinity and of marriage. Augustine's Trinitarian theology also sheds light on how we are to understand the triune good of marriage that Augustine delineates. Thus, Augustine's theology of marriage should be evaluated while bearing in mind that he sees marriage as founded upon friendship in the order of love, a love which should reflect the free, total self-giving in the divine life of the Persons of the Trinity.