Professor Karla Pollmann will give her Kent Institute for the Advanced Study of the Humanities (KIASH) inaugural lecture, ‘Method and Madness in the Reception of Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-2014)’, on 13 November at 6pm in Grimond LT1.
Augustine of Hippo (354-430), saint, bishop, intellectual and incredibly prolific writer in late Roman North Africa, can arguably be called the most influential early Christian writer in Latin. The impact of his rich and diverse thoughts is immense up to this very day. Last year a large interdisciplinary and international, collaborative project came to its conclusion that had as its aim the mapping of facts, patterns, and characteristics of Augustine’s enduring presence from his death until the present. Noteworthy findings of this project include Augustine’s enduring legacy far beyond the narrower confinements of theology, such as philosophy, political theory, education, psychology and art, and his surprising presence in popular culture. The lecture, to be delivered on Augustine’s 1660th biological birthday, will give an overview of the project, present its most important original insights, and attempt to reflect on implications of the continuing presence of a ‘saint’ in a secularised society.
The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception in the Grimond Foyer. All are welcome, full details can be found on the Department’s events page: www.kent.ac.uk/secl/events