Description
Augustine of Hippo is arguably the most influential Church Father, but how much of our modern perspective on his importance was shared by Christians closer to his own time? This course will place Augustine in his historical context, and will illuminate the conversations that other Christian writers and thinkers had with Augustine, both in his own time and after. Students will engage with Augustine's readers, from Prosper of Aquitaine to Thomas Aquinas to Martin Luther. Students will also consider some of Augustine's modern interpreters, including Hannah Arendt, Jean Elshtain, and Michael Walzer. In doing so, we will explore how different elements of Augustine's thought have been alternatively emphasized or suppressed in different historical circumstances. By tracing the development of scholarly readings of Augustine, students will understand the changing influence of the Latin father's work on the history of Christianity and society.