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Project

Augustine of Hippo’s ‘sermones de diversis’ (ss. 341-363): Textcritical study and analysis of the contents and Medieval reception of a corpus of moralizing/catechetical sermons

 My project centres on Augustine’s sermons 341-363. Within the Church Father’s homiletic oeuvre these sermons form a unique corpus as they have an outspoken moral/catechetical focus. Ss. 341363 address diverse themes (penitence, almsgiving, misconduct, obedience…) and are among Augustine’s richest sermons for biographical, socio-religious and historical realia, thus forming a precious source of information on Augustine’s position as bishop, his relation to the congregation, and the issues that mattered to them. Because of their moral/catechetical penchant, ss. 341-363 enjoyed a rich and dynamic reception in diverse Medieval contexts (Carolingian Court, monasteries, Late Medieval universities…). Nevertheless, they have not yet been systematically studied as a group. My project provides (1) a new critical edition of ss. 341-363 (the first since 1683) and (2) a study of their contents and Medieval reception, departing from the following questions: Which themes are dealt with? How do the central themes of these sermons compare to similar concerns in Augustine's other works? How do ss. 341-363 alter or complete our picture of Augustine as preacher? How were they transmitted, adapted and combined with other texts in Medieval manuscripts/sermon collections and what does this say about their use/influence?
 

Date:1 Oct 2019 →  30 Sep 2023
Keywords:Augustine of Hippo, sermones ad populum, critical edition, content analysis, Medieval reception study
Disciplines:Literatures in Latin, Medieval literature, Philology, History of religions, churches and theology