Magnum Beneficium est Pax, sed Dei Veri Beneficium est (ciu., 3.9). Augustine’s Realism, Strategy, and Insight into Human Motives as a Prelude to Peace at all Levels of Human Existence

The objective of this study is to examine the vision Augustine developed on the relationship between religion and politics, and how he conceived the Christian religion as the foundation of political and social action. Firstly, he emphasizes in his reflections on officials in the res publica that their work was marked by tragedy. State institutions and political relationships are characterized by the volatility and temporality. The only ones that do not seem to realize this are the politicians themselves, because the nature of their work does not contribute to the development of the ability to (self-) introspection and growth in humilitas (humility). Secondly, in his De Civitate Dei Augustine strove to present human history as a mirror in which each leader can see the impact of his own inner motives. The struggle between Jerusalem and Babylon, greed and generosity, sincerity and opportunism is a battle in the interior for Augustine. But in Book XIX of De civitate Dei Augustine finally also relates physical balance, irrational and rational motives, striving for integrity, the role of family and government, in order to show that inner peace and peace in any social context are interwoven

From homo economicus to homo dignus. Values and the indispensability of patristics for economics, even after the Enlightenment

Before economic science developed into an independent discipline in the eighteenth century, economicquestions were the stuff of theological treatises. In summae such as those of the realist Thomas Aquinas, andin the Collectorium of the nominalist Gabriel Biel, questions of human behavior, virtues and vices in socialand economic transactions and relations were addressed in the broader context of religion and theology. Butas economics became independent as a scientific discipline, God disappeared from economics. In this paper,the problem is addressed that the scientific standards that apply in economics and theology seem to excludeinterdisciplinary cooperation. Then it is pointed out that the opposite is in fact the case: the methods used ineconomics and theology are not the same, but complementary. It will become clear that it is useful to rekindlethe time-honored bonds between economics and theology as scientific disciplines, in order to deepen and enrichthe human view that underlies economic research. Finally, a concrete example is provided of how theologians can help economists to gain a more precise and deeper understanding of the human phenomenon, which willbe of use to them as they refine their research hypotheses. It is shown that theology can be of added value bybroadening the ‘economic view of human beings’. The study of Scriptural and patristic sources, especially theworks of St. Augustine, can help to refine and deepen the meaning of this word, precisely with a view to theoryformation in economics

Caring for relations and organizational success—conceptualization of an Augustinian leadership scale

While making great strides in recent decades to connect leadership and human flourishing, the positive leadership literature has yet to focus on the aspect of the communal. Based on a close reading of Augustine’s works, this paper examines Augustinian leadership and emphasizes the importance of a view on leadership that aims at community building and contains an ethical framework characterized by veracity. This leadership style is founded on caritas (Gr.: agape, Eng.: love) as the main motive for leaders. Based on Augustine’s thinking, this kind of love is defined as a way to attain knowledge. We identify four subconstructs to constitute an Augustinian leadership scale: Centrality of the community, Veracity, Empathy and Success (through temperance). We provide theoretical grounds for the distinctiveness of this leadership construct as compared with neighboring constructs. Finally, we propose a testable framework of Augustinian leadership with a direct effect on affective commitment as well as a mediated effect, and with a sense of belonging as the mediating variable. We provide ideas for future research and present practical implications of the theoretical insights on Augustinian leadership

Caring for relations and organizational success—conceptualization of an Augustinian leadership scale

While making great strides in recent decades to connect leadership and human flourishing, the positive leadership literature has yet to focus on the aspect of the communal. Based on a close reading of Augustine’s works, this paper examines Augustinian leadership and emphasizes the importance of a view on leadership that aims at community building and contains an ethical framework characterized by veracity. This leadership style is founded on caritas (Gr.: agape, Eng.: love) as the main motive for leaders. Based on Augustine’s thinking, this kind of love is defined as a way to attain knowledge. We identify four subconstructs to constitute an Augustinian leadership scale: Centrality of the community, Veracity, Empathy and Success (through temperance). We provide theoretical grounds for the distinctiveness of this leadership construct as compared with neighboring constructs. Finally, we propose a testable framework of Augustinian leadership with a direct effect on affective commitment as well as a mediated effect, and with a sense of belonging as the mediating variable. We provide ideas for future research and present practical implications of the theoretical insights on Augustinian leadership

Acrophyseal growth arrest in a long-term survivor of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Growth arrest at the secondary growth plate, also known as the acrophysis, is a rare phenomenon with only very few known published case reports. We report on a case of formation of ghost secondary ossification centers at the acrophyses of the knee joint in a 14-year-old female, who survived early childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The patient suffered from severe side effects from both disease and subsequent treatment strategies with a 10-month immobilization period as a consequence at the age of 3 years. The ghost secondary ossification centers were encountered on radiographs and MRI 10 years later, when she presented for evaluation of chronic pain in her left knee related to sports activities, due to a meniscal cyst. Awareness of this phenomenon is nevertheless important, because it seems that endochondral bone growth recovery at the acrophyses might be different from recovery in physes, because we found no concomitant sequelae of growth arrest in the metaphyses