Regularly listed among the classics in theology as well as in the lists of the great works of Western literature, St. Augustine’s Confessions is among the most familiar texts in the Christian tradition and beyond. Perhaps no other text from the ancient world so intimately portrays the thoughts and feelings of one person. This course will canvass the entirety of the work in English, including not only all nine narrative books often read as autobiography, but also the final four books which have baffled modern interpreters who question their inclusion in the work. The aim of this course will be to see the work as a unified whole, not primarily about Augustine as a person, but about the soul’s quest for God. We will follow along with Augustine as he teaches the willing student how to lay hold of Jesus’ promise: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Mt. 7:7). This course will be taught by Greystone Associate Fellow Dr. Chad Kim, a life-long student of Augustine, and author of several articles on Augustine as well as the forthcoming book, The Way of Humility: St. Augustine’s Theology of Preaching (Catholic University Press, 2023). Dr. Kim is professor of theology and classical languages at Saint Louis University and creator and host of the podcast A History of Christian Theology.
