"In A Bond between Souls: Friendship in the Letters of Augustine, Coleman M. Ford examines Augustine's understanding of friendship. For Augustine, friendship is the overflow of love and is essential for building Christlike virtue. Friendship differs by context and relationship but is fundamentally rooted in the reality that, in Christ, friendship with God has been restored. In this sense, friendship is fundamentally a spiritual exercise. With original research rooting Augustine's letter-writing, theology, and understanding of friendship in antiquity, A Bond between Souls helps readers to understand this doctor of the church in a deeper way"--