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

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May 16th, 1:30 PM

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