Theology

Augustine the Preacher

Taught by Dr. Matthew Hoskin
Difficulty: Introductory
Runs 9/25 – 12/9/23
$225.00 – $399.00
Syllabus

Augustine of Hippo’s main job, for decades, was preaching to his congregation. With a rhetorician’s skill and a pastor’s heart, he opened up the Scriptures to his congregation. This course will cover De Doctrina Christiana, a selection of his sermons on the Psalms, on the Sermon on the Mount, and on the Gospel of John.

Deadline to register: Wednesday, September 13th

 

 

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

Auditing ($225):

participate in readings and live class sessions, but no graded assignments and no course credit

Full course (Full-Time Discount) ($275):

for-credit courses (at least four per term) toward our Certificate or M.Litt in Classical Protestantism

Full course ($399):

individual classes on a for-credit basis; you can later apply them toward a Certificate or Degree

 

ENROLL NOW

Description

This Christian History course will be taught by Dr. Matthew Hoskin, and will run from September 25th through December 9th. The syllabus is available here.

St Augustine of Hippo is best remembered either as the wayward son who converted or the greatest theological mind of Latin Christendom who fought against Pelagians, articulated the doctrine of the Trinity, and wrote City of God. But for decades, his main job was preaching to his congregation in Hippo. There, with a rhetorician’s skill and a pastor’s heart, Augustine opened up the Word of God to the assembled Christians of Hippo. This course will cover Augustine’s preaching handbook, De Doctrina Christiana, as well as a selection of his sermons on the Psalms, on the Sermon on the Mount, and on the Gospel of John. Through studying Augustine’s sermons, we can be inspired as both readers and teachers of Scripture today.

Dr. Matthew JJ Hoskin (PhD University of Edinburgh) is a specialist in the history of ancient and medieval Christianity, especially the early Latin theological tradition, canon law, and manuscripts. In 2022, he saw the fruit of 10 years of research with the publication of his book The Manuscripts of Pope Leo the Great’s Letters (Turnhout, Brepols). While the Later Roman Empire may be his favourite place to do research, he has an enduring interest in medieval Britain and Ireland, and he has published about the influence of Boethius’ ideas on Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. He lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario, with his wife and sons in a house bursting with books and toys (many of which are his own).

Details

Online only, runs 10 weeks, meeting 2 hr./wk. via Zoom. Students will also have the option to participate in class discussion on the Davenant Common Room Discord server. Register to reserve your spot and schedule will be set after a poll of participating students; if the class time does not fit your schedule, you will be eligible for a full refund.

This is a graduate-level course. Although a BA is not a necessary pre-requisite for this course, students should come prepared to do graduate-level work.