Without friends, says Aristotle, no one would choose to live. The greatest love a person can show another, says Jesus, is to choose to die for friend. Ancient and medieval writers extol ideal friendship as a path to virtue and a sign of new Christians’ total transformation. Headlines warn of a loneliness crisis. How can friendship be rediscovered as an important social good that brings meaning to life and cohesion to society? The contributors in this issue tell of connections with peers and strangers, soulmates and political enemies, showing how in the Christian vision true friendship is a gift one can both die for and live for.
Plough is an award-winning international magazine of faith, culture, and society that appears weekly online and quarterly in print. We also publish a line of books, including literary nonfiction and fiction, children’s books, Christian books, and graphic novels. Founded in 1920, Plough asks the big questions: How can we live well together, and what gives life purpose? Another life is possible.