Medieval Reception of Augustine of Hippo
Sponsoring Organization(s)
Special Session
Organizer Name
Thomas Clemmons
Organizer Affiliation
Univ. of Notre Dame
Presider Name
Thomas Clemmons
Paper Title 1
The Transmission and Reception of Augustine's Contra Faustum, 430-1264
Presenter 1 Name
Michael Hahn
Presenter 1 Affiliation
Univ. of Notre Dame
Paper Title 2
Remembering Augustine's Authority: A View from the Ninth Century
Presenter 2 Name
Jared Wielfaert
Presenter 2 Affiliation
Lee Univ.
Paper Title 3
Constructing a Premonstratensian Saint: Philip of Harvengt's Vita beati Augustini
Presenter 3 Name
John Sehorn
Presenter 3 Affiliation
Univ. of Notre Dame
Start Date
16-5-2015 1:30 PM
Session Location
Valley III Stinson 303
Description
Few if any authors from Late Antiquity exert as much influence on Western medieval thought and literary work as the fifth-century bishop Augustine of Hippo. Whether through complete manuscripts of his writings, compiled florilegia, quoted excerpts, or passing allusions, Augustineʼs presence and authority is ubiquitous, though hardly uniform. While his impact is perhaps most recognizable in theology and biblical exegesis, it extended in different ways to such fields as philosophy, ethics, political theory, and education, as well as to broader forms of religious and cultural expression. ! ! ! Analysis of the reception of Augustine across various genres and settings provides the modern scholar with something of a textual or authorial motif of analysis that can illuminate the substrata and directionality of medieval texts. Accordingly, attentiveness to the citation and use of Augustine within a particular text or author not only permits a consideration of potential sources, such as a complete work, a liturgical reference, or a florilegium, but also provides an interpretive lens through which to view an authorʼs meaning, motives, and commitments. Such employment of Augustine may vary within an author over time or across compositional styles, thus allowing for assessment of development or continuity in the author. Likewise, the study of the reception of Augustine offers a particularly fruitful avenue for intertextuality, affording comparison of authors from different periods and contexts.
Thomas Clemmons
Medieval Reception of Augustine of Hippo
Valley III Stinson 303
Few if any authors from Late Antiquity exert as much influence on Western medieval thought and literary work as the fifth-century bishop Augustine of Hippo. Whether through complete manuscripts of his writings, compiled florilegia, quoted excerpts, or passing allusions, Augustineʼs presence and authority is ubiquitous, though hardly uniform. While his impact is perhaps most recognizable in theology and biblical exegesis, it extended in different ways to such fields as philosophy, ethics, political theory, and education, as well as to broader forms of religious and cultural expression. ! ! ! Analysis of the reception of Augustine across various genres and settings provides the modern scholar with something of a textual or authorial motif of analysis that can illuminate the substrata and directionality of medieval texts. Accordingly, attentiveness to the citation and use of Augustine within a particular text or author not only permits a consideration of potential sources, such as a complete work, a liturgical reference, or a florilegium, but also provides an interpretive lens through which to view an authorʼs meaning, motives, and commitments. Such employment of Augustine may vary within an author over time or across compositional styles, thus allowing for assessment of development or continuity in the author. Likewise, the study of the reception of Augustine offers a particularly fruitful avenue for intertextuality, affording comparison of authors from different periods and contexts.
Thomas Clemmons