Please join the Lay Augustinians on Wednesday, February 11 at 7:00 PM for the first part of a four-part series about the history of the Order of St. Augustine and the development of Augustinianism from the death of St. Augustine in the fifth century to approximately the close of the fifteenth century, when the Order reached the height of its theological, intellectual, and cultural influence. Rather than treating the Order as a static institution, the series emphasizes a continuous historical narrative, tracing how Augustinian ideals were received, adapted, and institutionalized across changing social, political, and ecclesial contexts. Particular attention will be given to the antecedents inherited from late antiquity, the gradual formation of Augustinian life as a mendicant order, the conditions that allowed Augustinianism to flourish, and a series of sentinel events and foundational documents that have come to serve as touchstones for the Order’s identity.
The material is divided into four primary sections, each corresponding to a distinct phase in the historical development of the Western Church and its evolving reception of Augustinian thought. Taken together, these sections aim to demonstrate both continuity and transformation within the Augustinian tradition across a millennium of Christian history.
The Zoom link will be the same each month, so once you register you do not need to register again. New registrants will receive the Zoom to the event in their confirmation email. Make sure our emails aren’t being caught by your spam filter!
Meet the Moderator: D. P. Curtin
Dr. D.P. Curtin is an Irish-American psychologist, translator, and theologian. He holds degrees from Villanova University, Chestnut Hill College, and Chatham University. His work has appeared in First Things, Real Clear Religion, the Irish Catholic, Public Orthodoxy, Where Peter Is, and Catholic Exchange. He is also Editor-in-Chief of the Scriptorium Project.
February’s Topic: Community as Known to St. Augustine
The first section examines the immediate world of St. Augustine and the generations that followed him. It explores St. Augustine’s own understanding of Christian community, as expressed in his friendships, correspondence, sermons, and monastic writings, with particular focus on the Rule and its early applications. This section situates Augustine within the political, cultural, and social realities of late Roman North Africa, addressing events such as the Vandal conquest and the eventual collapse of the African Church.
As the African Christian world declined, Augustine’s intellectual and spiritual legacy found new life elsewhere. Attention will be given to how his works and ideals were received in Rome and southern Gaul during the early Middle Ages, where they contributed to emerging forms of clerical and monastic life. Special emphasis is placed on the formation of early communal structures inspired by St. Augustine, and on clearly distinguishing these early communities and the Canons Regular of St. Augustine from later, more formalized Augustinian movements.