Overview
The Irrational Augustine takes the notion of St Augustine as rigid and dogmatic Father of the Church and turns it on its head. Catherine Conybeare reads Augustine's earliest works to discover the anti-dogmatic Augustine, who values changeability and human interconnectedness and deplores social exclusion. The novelty of her book lies in taking seriously the nature of these early works as performances, through which multiple questions can be raised and multiple options explored, both in words and through their dramatic framework. The theological consequences are considerable. A very human Augustine emerges, talking and playing with friends and family, including his mother - and a very sympathetic set of ideas is the result.
Full Product Details
Author: Catherine Conybeare (Associate Professor in the Department of Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies, Bryn Mawr College)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 14.50cm
, Height: 1.80cm
, Length: 23.40cm
Weight: 0.415kg
ISBN: 9780199262083
ISBN 10: 019926208
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 20 April 2006
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
In short, this work is a model of what it means to reconsider Augustine on his own terms - respectfully, while recognizing Augustine's sophisticated self-presentation. Conybeare gives us a thoughtful, inquisitive Augustine, a portrait which should prompt us to look at the apparent dogmatism of his later works with fresh, unjaded eyes. * Todd Breyfogle, Canadian Journal of History * Conybeare's fine study is a very close reading of the earliest Augustinian texts...her arguments are provocative and persuasive throughout. * David Vincent Meconi, Journal of Early Christian Studies * Conybeare's book is clever, intriguing, and relentlessly trendy in its theoretical vocabulary * Lewis Ayres, Journal of Roman Studies * throughout her book Conybeare writes with a masterful command of both the Latin and English languages * Paul C. Burns, The Classical Review *
Conybeare's book is clever, intriguing, and relentlessly trendy in its theoretical vocabulary Lewis Ayres, Journal of Roman Studies Conybeare's fine study is a very close reading of the earliest Augustinian texts...her arguments are provocative and persuasive throughout. David Vincent Meconi, Journal of Early Christian Studies In short, this work is a model of what it means to reconsider Augustine on his own terms - respectfully, while recognizing Augustine's sophisticated self-presentation. Conybeare gives us a thoughtful, inquisitive Augustine, a portrait which should prompt us to look at the apparent dogmatism of his later works with fresh, unjaded eyes. Todd Breyfogle, Canadian Journal of History
throughout her book Conybeare writes with a masterful command of both the Latin and English languages Paul C. Burns, The Classical Review Conybeare's book is clever, intriguing, and relentlessly trendy in its theoretical vocabulary Lewis Ayres, Journal of Roman Studies Conybeare's fine study is a very close reading of the earliest Augustinian texts...her arguments are provocative and persuasive throughout. David Vincent Meconi, Journal of Early Christian Studies In short, this work is a model of what it means to reconsider Augustine on his own terms - respectfully, while recognizing Augustine's sophisticated self-presentation. Conybeare gives us a thoughtful, inquisitive Augustine, a portrait which should prompt us to look at the apparent dogmatism of his later works with fresh, unjaded eyes. Todd Breyfogle, Canadian Journal of History
Author Information
Catherine Conybeare is Associate Professor in the Department of Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies, Bryn Mawr College.
