IST3022-1-SP14 - Augustine & His Influence: 400 CE

Augustine and His Influence

Iliff School of Theology, Spring 2014, Thursday 1–4:30

Professor Todd Berzon

Office: I-202 A, Iliff Hall

Phone: (303) 765-3199

E-mail: tberzon@iliff.edu

Office Hours: By appointment

Final Project: I propose a compromise solution. Students will have two options for their final project. (1) Students may opt to give a presentation (in which they lead class discussion for 30 minutes about a particular section or theme of Augustine’s writing). They will also write an 8-10 page paper based on their presentation. The paper should be an academic investigation of the theme or themes discussed in class. You should incorporate ideas from the discussion as well as offer a clear thesis. This is not a paper simply to muse about Augustine. It needs to be focused, researched, and organized. Presentation papers will be due TWO WEEKS after the presentation has been delivered. (2) If students do not wish to give a presentation and to write a presentation paper, they may opt for a more traditional seminar paper due the final week of the term. This paper should be roughly 20 pages in length. It should be no longer than 30 pages and no shorter than 18. Students who wish to write a final seminar paper MUST have their topic approved by me by Week 5 of the quarter. This is to your advantage. I can help you to see if a particular paper topic is feasible.

Presentation Sign-Ups

 

There will be a maximum of three presenters each week (but not every week), who will negotiate with each other who does which book(s). Your presentations MUST be different. There are currently 16 slots on the assumption that six of you will write seminar papers. If that proves an overly optimistic calculation, additional slots can be added. Doctoral students must write a seminar paper.

 

Confessions, Books V-IX (4/3)

1. Gabriel Hess

2. Mary Greenwood

 

Confessions, Books X-XIII (4/17)

1. Joshua Schachtere

2. Lizka Randall

3. Erik Hunt

 

City of God, Books I-III (4/24)

1. Hilary Rhodes

2.

 

City of God, Books IV-VII (5/1)

1. Eric H. Millard

2. Natalie Johnson

 

City of God, Books VIII-XI (5/8)

1. Emily Flemming

2. Selena Naumoff

 

City of God, Books XII-XIV (5/15)

1. Norton Herbst

2. Caleb Smith

3. David Gonzalez

 

City of God, Books XIX-XXII (5/29)

1. Cody Rom

2. Kelsey Hill

Presentation Sign-Ups

 

There will be a maximum of three presenters each week (but not every week), who will negotiate with each other who does which book(s). Your presentations MUST be different. There are currently 16 slots on the assumption that six of you will write seminar papers. If that proves an overly optimistic calculation, additional slots can be added. Doctoral students must write a seminar paper.

 

Confessions, Books V-IX (4/3)

1. Gabriel Hess

2. Mary Greenwood

 

Confessions, Books X-XIII (4/17)

1. Joshua Schachtere

2. Lizka Randall

3. Erik Hunt

 

City of God, Books I-III (4/24)

1. Hilary Rhodes

2.

 

City of God, Books IV-VII (5/1)

1. Eric H. Millard

2. Natalie Johnson

 

City of God, Books VIII-XI (5/8)

1. Emily Flemming

2. Selena Naumoff

 

City of God, Books XII-XIV (5/15)

1. Norton Herbst

2. Caleb Smith

3. David Gonzalez

 

City of God, Books XIX-XXII (5/29)

1. Cody Rom

2. Kelsey Hill

Weekly Posts: Each week students will post a comment (250-500 words) through Canvas, in which they reflect on the assigned reading. I leave it to you to decide how you wish to organize and/or structure your post. There is, of course, no correct way to write an interesting post. Write about whatever interests you. You need not post for the first week of class nor for the week you are giving a presentation. Comments should be posted by midnight on Wednesday.

Academic Honesty : Do not plagiarize! Let me repeat that: DO NOT PLAGIARIZE! It is an act of lying, cheating, and stealing. The University has very strict rules governing incidents of plagiarism—an automatic failure in the course and potentially graver consequences—so let’s avoid the situation entirely. Please be sure to cite your sources (in your papers) properly and consistently.

Electronics : Cell phones should remain turned off during class. You’re free to use your laptop while I am lecturing (provided, of course, you’re not checking email, writing papers, etc.). During the seminar portion of class—when we turn to the discussion of texts—I’d prefer that you keep your laptops turned off. In my experience, computers hinder fruitful and natural discussion.

Books:

Grade Breakdown :

Participation: 30%

Weekly Postings: 30% (250-500 words each week with the exception of Week 1 and the week of your presentation).

Final Project: 40%

Course Schedule (subject to change):

Week 1: 3/27: Introducing Augustine: The Confessions

- Confessions , I–IV;

-Kate Cooper, “Love and Belonging, Loss and Betrayal in the Confession ,” in Vessey, 69–86 [PDF];

-Paula Fredriksen, “The Confessions as Autobiography,” in Vessey. 89–98 [PDF].

For an overview of the Confessions , see Gillian Clark’s general introduction, which I have posted on Canvas.

Week 2: 4/3: Confessions

­- Confessions , Books V–IX;

-Catherine Conybeare, “Reading the Confessions ,” in A Companion to Augustine , ed. Mark Vessey (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012), 99–110 [PDF];

-Andrea Nightingale, Once Out of Nature: Augustine on Time and the Body (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011), 132–163 [PDF].

Week 3: 4/10: NO CLASS: PRESIDENT WOLF’S INSTALLATION CEREMONY

Week 4: 4/17: Confessions

- Confessions , Books X-XIII;

-Nightingale, 55-104 [PDF].

Week 5: 4/24: City of God

- City of God , Books I-III;

-Neil McLynn, “Augustine’s Roman Empire,” Augustinian Studies 30:2 (1999): 29–44 [PDF];

-O’Daly, 1-74.

Week 6: 5/1: City of God

- City of God , Books IV-VII;

-O’Daly, 74-100.

Week 7: 5/8: City of God

- City of God , Books VIII-XI;

-O’Daly, 101-134.

Week 8: 5/15: City of God

- City of God , Books XII-XIV;

-O’Daly, 135-159;

-Nightingale, 23-54 [PDF].

Week 9: 5/22: City of God (CLASS TO MEET WITHOUT ME)

- City of God , Books XV-XVIII;

-O’Daly, 160-195;

-Gillian Clark, “City of Books,” in The Early Christian Book , ed. William E. Klingshirn and Linda Safran (Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2007), 117–138 [PDF].

Week 10: 5/29: City of God

- City of God , Books XIX-XXII;

-O’Daly, 196-233;

-Harry O. Maier, “The End of the City and the City without End: The City of God as Revelation,” Augustinian Studies 30:2 (1999): 153–164 [PDF];

-Thomas A. Smith, “The Pleasure of Hell in City of God 21,” Augustinian Studies 30:2 (1999): 195–204 [PDF].

See Taylor Library's list of online book sellers for purchasing options.

Course Overview

 

Course Objectives

Evaluation

Policies and Services

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community. 

Degree Learning Goals

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