Please join the Lay Augustinians on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00 PM for the second 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.
March’s Topic: The Embryonic Form of the Order
Building upon the foundations of the first section, this portion explores how the Augustinian tradition gradually differentiated itself from other monastic rules and movements of the early medieval period, such as the Benedictine and Columban traditions. The discussion includes the transmission of Augustinian ideas into the early Irish Church and the broader Latin West, highlighting the adaptability of St. Augustine’s thought to diverse ecclesial contexts.
Central to this section is an examination of the so-called Ordo Antiquus and the earliest structured applications of Augustine’s life and works during the Carolingian Reforms. Key moments, including the Synod of Aachen, will be discussed, particularly in relation to renewed interest in clerical discipline, communal life, and episcopal authority. The Carolingian appropriation of Augustinian theology—especially the use of The City of God in shaping Frankish political and ecclesiastical ideology will receive special attention. Overall, this period is characterized more by transmission, consolidation, and standardization than by innovation, culminating in the Gregorian Reforms of the eleventh century, which sought to regularize clerical life and establish uniform, papally sanctioned religious communities.