28953 - Ancient Christian Literature (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the ending of the courses, the student will be acquainted of the literary production processes in ancient Christianity between I and VIII centuries, starting from the authors and their writings, in relation with classical literatures and with the 'Fortleben' in Middle Ages and modern times.

Course contents

An example from Augustine’s letters: the Epistle 130 to Proba.

Augustine’s collection of letters, consisting of about three hundred letters written from 386 up to his last years (Augustine died in 430), like other great collections left by many contemporary intellectuals, such as Jerome or John Chrysostom, shows an interesting overview of half a century of Late Antiquity. Augustine’s letters notice historical events, the changing of costume history, as well as of literary and philosophical trends, and the theological evolution of Christian thought during some decades between fourth and fifth century.

The Epistle 130 to Proba, written in 411-412, and addressed to an educated matron of Roman aristocracy, represents the most complete treatise on prayer Augustine ever composed. Furthermore, it contains the essence of many aspects of the author’s philosophical and theological thought.

Readings/Bibliography

1) Texts:

– (Latin text of letter 130)

S. Aureli Augustini Hipponiensis episcopi Epistulae, ed. A. Goldbacher [CSEL 44], Tempsky-Freitag, Vindobonae-Lipsiae, 1895s., pp. 40-77 (the text will be uploaded in the didactic material).

2) Studies:

a) Introduction to St. Augustine:

M. Simonetti-E. Prinzivalli, Letteratura Cristiana Antica, EDB, Bologna 2010, pp. …);

b) Introduction to St. Augustine' letters:

M. Pellegrino, Introduzione generale, in: S. Agostino. Le Lettere [Nuova Biblioteca Agostiniana, I], Città Nuova, Roma 1969 (e ristampe), pp. VII-CIII.

c) Introduction, translation and commentary to Epistle 130:

Agostino d'Ippona, Lettera a Proba, a c. di A. Cacciari, Paoline, Milano 1981, 2009².

Teaching methods

Lectures; use of bibliographic and electronic databases.

Assessment methods

a) The students who attend lessons will be able to read and translate the Epistle 130 in the original latin text (required for students of Classics). With the help of a commentary (see Bibliography, Studies, point [c]), of the Introduzione generale (see Bibliography, Studies, point [b]), they will be able to comment the text of the Epistle 130 from an historical, philosophical, and theological point of view.

b) The students who cannot attend lessons will study the same program as the students who attend lessons, and they can substitute lesson notes with two essays by choice from the following:

– P. Brown, Aspetti della cristianizzazione dell'aristocrazia romana, in: Id., Religione e società nell'età di sant'Agostino, Einaudi, Torino 1975 (e ristampe), pp. 151-171;

– M. Caltabiano, Storie di uomini, lettere e libri nella corrispondenza di S. Agostino, in: F.E. Consolino (a c. di), "L'adorabile vescovo di Ippona". Atti del Convegno di Paola (24-25 maggio 2000), Rubbettino, Soveria Mannelli 2001, pp. 73-96;

– M.P. Ciccarese, La tipologia delle lettere di S. Agostino, in: "Augustinianum" 11 (1971), pp. 471-507;

– M. Pellegrino, Osservazioni sullo stile delle Lettere di S. Agostino, in: Mélanges offerts à Mademoiselle Christine Mohrmann, Spectrum, Utrecht-Anvers 1963, pp. 240-251;

– C. Müller – C. Tornau, Text - Subtext - Context. On the way to a comprehensive commentary of the Augustinian Letters. Introduction, "Revue d'études augustiniennes et patristiques" 62 (2016), pp. 59-65.

Teaching tools

Projector; PC.

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Cacciari