The Theological Tractates and The Consolation of Philosophy

The volume pairs Latin theological treatises that probe how divine persons and attributes may be predicated, scrutinizing unity and distinction within the Godhead and the language used to speak of substance, person, and deity, with a prose-and-poetry consolation composed during the author’s imprisonment. In the latter, a philosophic interlocutor challenges despair by examining the fickleness of fortune, the nature of true happiness, the relation between providence and human free will, and the origin of evil. Together the pieces use argument and reflection to offer ethical guidance and metaphysical consolation, guiding the reader from despondency toward intellectual and spiritual equanimity.