Aelred of Rievaulx (1110 – 1167) on Spiritual Friendship St. Aelred of Rievaulx (1110-1167) was a twelfth-century Cistercian abbot and well-known spiritual writer, whose treatise "Spiritual Friendship," is widely considered a classic of Christian spirituality. Inspired by Roman statesman and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero's philosophical dialogue, "On Friendship," Aelred approaches his subject from a decidedly religious standpoint, examining both the theoretical and practical aspects of friendship in the light of … [Read more...] about Christian Devotional Classics: Spiritual Friendship