Please join the Lay Augustinians on Wednesday, May 13 at 7:00 PM for the final 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.
May’s Topic: Rapid Growth during the High Medieval Period
Following formal papal recognition, the Augustinian Order experienced rapid geographic and institutional expansion. Originating in northern Italy, Augustinian houses spread quickly into Germany, France, and northern Spain, and eventually into the frontier regions of the Latin Christian world, including Poland, Ireland, and Hungary. This expansion coincided with the Order’s increasing involvement in urban ministry and higher education.
From the thirteenth century onward, the development of a structured network of schools, the studia, became central to Augustinian life. This period also saw sustained and systematic engagement with the writings of St. Augustine, giving rise to a distinctive Augustinian intellectual tradition that deeply influenced European universities and contributed to the maturation of medieval scholasticism. At the same time, this era witnessed a gradual relaxation in the observance of the Rule, developments that would later shape internal debates and set the stage for the contested interpretations of Augustine that emerged during the Protestant Reformation.