Augustijns Historisch Instituut

“In January 2009, Prof. dr. Otto Wermelinger retired from the University of Fribourg, after a long and rich academic career. The importance of Prof. Wermelinger’s contribution to Augustinian scholarship, and especially to the Pelagian controversy, is widely acknowledged, and the board of Augustiniana thought it appropriate to join in the tribute paid to him by colleagues and friends.
Through Prof. F. Mali, who holds the Chair for Patristics, Ancient Church History and Christian Oriental Languages at the University of Fribourg, we received papers that were presented at O. Wermelinger’s valedictory conference. We are delighted that we can offer these texts to our readers, and we thank Prof. Mali for his willingness to act as guest editor for these three articles.
We hope you will enjoy reading this issue of Augustiniana, which, apart from the tribute to Otto Wermelinger, contains an important new textual edition of Sermo 142, and an interesting article on Rufinus as an interpreter of Origen.”

Gerd VAN RIEL

Content Augustiniana 60(2010)1-2 :

Augustiniana 60(2010)1-2

- Franz MALI, Pelagius and Augustine : more than a doctrinal controversy (p. 9-10) - Mathijs LAMBERIGTS, Augustine’s use of tradition in the controversy with Julian of Aeclanum (p. 11-61) - Winrich LÖHR, Augustinus und sein Verhältnis zu Pelagius : eine Relecture der Quellen (p. 63-86) - Paul MATTEI, Le fantôme semi-pélagien. Lecture du traité De gratia de Fauste de Riez (p. 87-117) - Gert PARTOENS, A more original version of s. 142 of Saint Augustine (p. 119-144) - Kevin D. HILL, Rufinus as an interpreter of Origen : ascetic affliction in the Commentarii in Epistulam ad Romanos (p. 145-168) - Book reviews (p. 169-171)

Brian DOBELL, Augustine’s intellectual conversion : the journey from Platonism to Christianity (Cambridge : CUP, 2009) XVII-250 p. (ISBN: 978-0-521-51339-5)

“This book examines Augustine’s intellectual conversion from Platonism to Christianity, as described at Confessions 7.9.13-21-17. It is widely assumed that this occured in the summer of 386, shortly before Augustine’s volitional conversion in the garden at Milan. Brian Dobell argues, however, that Augustine’s intellectual conversion did not occur until the mid 390s, and develops this claim by comparing Confessions 7.9.13-21.27 with a number of important passages and themes from Augustine’s early writings. He thus invites the reader to consider anew the problem of Augustine’s conversion in 386: was it to Platonism or Christianity? His original and important study will be of interest to a wide range of readers in the history of philosophy and the history of theology.”

For a list of the latest publications click here.

Contents:

John Paletta, Saint Augustine’s Milan vision reconstructed (p. 151-180)

Stuart Squires, Jerome’s animosity against Augustine (p. 181-199)

Matthew Alan Gaumer, The evolution of Donatist theology as response to a changing Late Antique milieu (p. 201-233)

Anthony Dupont, The Christology of the pre-controversial Pelagius: a study of De natura and De fide trinitatis, complemented by a comparison with Libellus fidei (p. 235-257)

Hans-Joachim Schmidt, Die Liebe in dem Traktat “De regimine principum” von Aegidius Romanus (p. 259-284)

Willigis Eckermann, Paternum imperium, filiale obsequim: das gehorsame Vertrauen des Sohnes in Gott den Vater als Leitmotiv der Passionsdarstellung des Simon Fidati (p. 285-303)

Paul van Geest, Gabriel Biel: brother of the common life and alter Augustinus? Aim and meaning of his Tractatus de communi vita clericorum (p. 305-357)

Vandaag viert de Katholieke Universiteit van Leuven feest. Het is Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Lichtmis, 40 dagen na kerstmis. De herinnering aan het zuiveringsritueel dat Maria als jonge moeder volgens de Joodse wet (Leviticus 12, 2-4) moest uitvoeren. De naam Lichtmis verwijst naar de kaarsjeswijding en de processie met brandende kaarsen voor de mis (kerstening van een oud romeins lichtfeest). In Vlaanderen worden op deze dag traditioneel pannenkoeken gebakken. Lichtmis werd het feest van de Sedes sapientiae, de beschermheilige van de universiteit. En omdat ons Instituut nauwe banden met de universiteit, meer bepaald met de (bibliotheek van de) faculteit Godgeleerdheid, heeft, vieren wij ook feest. U kunt ons niet in het instituut vinden - we zijn wellicht pannenkoeken aan het bakken!

Today is the Patron’s Day of the Catholic University of Louvain. It is the Feast of the Purification of Mary, or Our Blessed Lady Candlemas. Today, forty days after Christmas, a reminder of the purification ritual that Mary, as a young mother, had to fulfil according to Jewish Law (Leviticus 12, 2-4). The name Candlemas refers to the dedication of candles and the procession of burning candles before the mass (christianisation of an old Roman light festival). In Flanders, pancakes are traditionally baked on this day. Candlemas became the feast of the Sedes Sapientiae, the patron saint of the university. And because we have a strong connection with the university, more specifically the (library of the) Faculty of Theology, we too celebrate this day. You won’t find us in the institute - we’re probably at home, baking pancakes!