Toute la réflexion d’Augustin semble le fruit d’une interrogation radicale : pourquoi y a-t-il du divers et pas seulement de l’un ? Cette question le conduit à adopter une posture rationnelle originale qui prend ultimement la forme originale d’une règle monastique.Les grand thèmes sur lesquels s’appuie la règle dessinent une ascension allant du désir de la beauté comme révélation de la tension vers l’un à la découverte des relations intratrinitaires comme lieu où désir et désiré s’unissent. Notre recherche devra alors s’éclaircir par une comparaison systématique des règles cénobitiques des IVe et Ve siècles. La communauté augustinienne n’est pas d’abord une communauté d’ascètes, ni d’hommes visant la perfection, mais une communauté faisant l’expérience de l’unité de la Trinité vécue par et dans l’Eglise.Le sacramentum est le moyen qui permet à l’homme de faire sien l’unité trinitaire. Le signe sacramentel conduit l’individu à l’intériorité et lui fait éprouver cet amour de l’un en lequel tous peuvent converger et s’unir. Dans cet amour commun, la dialectique du sujet et de la communauté se voit résolue.Cette découverte nous conduit à scruter la notion de signe chez Augustin et a revenir sur certaines interprétations courantes de sa pensée. A la lumière de ces conclusions, il est possible de mieux comprendre le rôle central du culte dans l’unité de la Cité et de définir les conditions de l’unité politique. / The whole thought of Augustine seems to be the result of a radical questioning: why is there the Other and not just the One? This question leads him to adopt an original reasoned position which ultimately takes the original form of a monastic rule.The broad themes on which the Rule relies outline an ascent from the desire for beauty as revelation of the turning towards the One to the discovery of the relations within the Trinity as a place where desire and desired are united.My research is informed by a systematic comparison of the rules of monastic communities of the 4th and 5th centuries. The Augustinian community is not primarily either a community of ascetics or of men aiming for perfection, but a community experiencing the unity of the Trinity lived by and in the Church.The sacramentum is the means which permits man to make his own the unity of the Trinity. The sacramental symbol leads the individual to interiority and causes him to experience that love of the One in which all are able to come together and unite. In this shared love, the dialectic between the individual and the community is resolved.This discovery leads to an analysis of the idea of the symbol in Augustine and to a re-examination of certain current interpretations of his thought. In the light of these conclusions, it is possible to understand better the central role of worship in the unity of the City and to define the conditions of political unity.

Notre thèse est une monographie consacrée aux Soliloques d’Augustin, le quatrième de ses dialogues philosophiques écrit en 386-387, immédiatement après sa conversion au christianisme. Elle comporte deux volets. La première partie, doctrinale, propose une nouvelle interprétation du dialogue en voyant dans l’opuscule le lieu de l’interrogation de l’expérience de la conversion. Elle montre que les deux livres, sur la base du spiritualisme néoplatonicien qui vient nourrir en profondeur l’entreprise, se présentent comme deux anagogies qu’on examine donc successivement. Cette perspective permet ainsi de mettre à jour les sources philosophiques du jeune Augustin, et surtout comment, dès 386, apparaissent presque définitivement structurées plusieurs intuitions majeures de sa pensée. La deuxième partie de ce travail est consacrée à l’étude de la tradition manuscrite de ce dialogue de jeunesse, dont on propose une édition révisée et une nouvelle traduction, assorties d’un ensemble de vingt-et-une notes complémentaires. / Augustine’s Soliloquies, a philosophical dialogue, were written in 386-387, straight after the author’s conversion to Christianity. The aim of this dialogue is to reach a firm knowledge of what soul and God are. The first, interpretative part of this doctoral work shows that, beyond the neo-platonician spirituality that deeply fills Augustine’s writings, this dialogue constitutes the inaugural meditation on the experience of conversion. Thus, such a perspective allows considering this dialogue as the first step of a continuous thought that will eventually lead to the Confessions ; it also allows analysing Augustine’s intellectual horizon in a newly oriented way that brings into light his philosophical sources ; lastly, it allows seeing how some intuitions, among the major ones of his thought, appeared in an almost definitively structured way as soon as 386. The second part of this doctoral work is dedicated to the study of manuscripts tradition of this early year dialogue, of which a new translation is being proposed, with a set of twenty-one complementary notes.

Este trabalho tem por objetivos, além de apresentar uma tradução da primeira parte do De libero arbitrio libri tres, de Agostinho de Hipona, empreender um estudo, dos três livros, em seus diferentes aspectos, retóricos e filosóficos. O De libero arbitrio, apesar de seu sentido de unidade, tem características específicas em cada uma de suas três partes. O livro I, de forte influência estóica, apresenta-se um diálogo; o livro II, se mantém a mesma estrutura dialógica, apresenta, porém, evidentes características neoplatônicas. Se as duas primeiras partes podem dizer-se dialéticas, a terceira, no entanto, sofre grave transformação, tanto em sua dispositio, quando Agostinho abdica da forma dialogal para empreender um longo discurso contínuo, como em sua elocutio, ao lançar mão de uma linguagem que, de modo inequívoco, evidencia uma mudança não só de auditório como de pensamento. O De libero arbitrio, em seu livro III, torna-se, a certa altura, uma obra de teologia, em que a concepção platônicosocrática de mundo, do Agostinho dos primeiros dois livros, cede espaço a uma visão mais cristã, influenciada sobremodo pela teologia do apóstolo Paulo, uma visão menos otimista do ser humano como ser autônomo e capaz de soerguer-se, por sua livre iniciativa. Essa mudança conceitual considerável, em seus aspectos discursivo e filosófico, evidencia uma alteração muito mais profunda, uma espécie de turning point, não apenas na obra e na vida do próprio homem, então não mais o filósofo e sim o presbítero de Hipona; não mais o pensador neoplatônico, e sim o doutor eclesiástico; mas também um turning point para a época, demarcando, de certo modo, o fim de toda uma civilização, o fim do mundo antigo, com a derrocada da visão clássica do homem, e o conseqüente princípio da era medieval. / This work has as main objectives, besides offering a translation of the first part of the De libero arbitrio libri tres of Augustine of Hippo, undertake a study of the three books, in its different aspects, rhetorical and philosophical. The De libero arbitrio, in spite of its sense of unity, has specific characteristics in each of its three parts. Book I, predominantly influenced by Stoicism, shows itself a dialog; book II, although maintaining the same dialogical structure, shows, nevertheless, evident Neoplatonic characteristics. If the two first parts may be called dialectical, the third, however, is the object of a severe metamorphosis, as in its dispositio, when Augustine resigns the cross-examination form to undertake a long uninterrupted discourse; as in its elocutio, when he adopts a style that undoubtedly makes clear a change not only in his auditory, but in his thought as well. The De libero arbitrio, then, in its third book becomes at a certain point a theological work, in which the Platonic-Socratic comprehension of the world of the young Augustine (of the first two books) yields to a more Christianized view, much influenced by the theology of the apostle Paul, which sustains a less optimistic image of man as a autonomous being, capable of raising himself through his free choice of the will. This remarkable conceptual change, in its discursive and philosophical aspects, shows a still deeper mutation, a kind of \"turning point\", not only in the works and life of the man, no longer the philosopher, but the presbyter of Hippo; no longer the Neoplatonic thinker, but the Doctor of the Church; but also a \"turning point\" to the epoch, delimiting, to a certain extent, the end of a civilization, the end of Antiquity, with the overthrow of the classical view of man and the consequential beginning of the mediaeval era.

Denna uppsats är huvudsakligen en diskussion av Augustinus försök att förena tesen att människan har en fri vilja med sin predestinationslära. Enligt de definitioner av ”determinism” och ”fri vilja” som föreslås i uppsatsen, utesluter predestinationens förhandenvarande möjligheten för människan att ha en fri vilja. Augustinus utgångspunkt i tron och hans antaganden om Guds och människans egenskaper, gör det omöjligt för honom att acceptera en sådan slutsats. Det samtidiga föreliggandet av predestinationen och den fria viljan utgör en betydelsefull komponent i hans syn på människans relation till Gud. Uppsatsen undersöker hur Augustinus resonemang i De Libero Arbitrio (Om den Fria Viljan) står sig mot en nutida kritik, för att i förlängningen söka påvisa varför hans antagande att människan har fri vilja inte är förenligt med hans samtidiga antagande att Gud har predestinerat alla händelser i världen. / This paper is mainly a discussion of Augustine’s combination of the idea that human beings have a free will with his doctrine of predestination. According to the definitions of “determinism” and “free will” suggested in this paper, the actuality of predestination excludes the possibility of human free will. Since Augustine takes starting-point in his belief in God and his assumptions about the attributes of God and human beings, such a conclusion is impossible for him. The actuality of both predestination and human free will is an important feature of his view of the relationship between human beings and God. This paper investigates how Augustine’s line of argument in De Libero Arbitrio (On Free Choice of the Will) manages to hold against a modern criticism. The primary aim is to show why Augustine’s assumption that human beings have free will is inconsistent with his assumption that God has predestined all events of the world.

Thesis advisor: Ruth Langer / One of the enduring legacies supersessionism has imparted to Christianity in general, and evangelical Christianity in particular, is a complicated relationship with the legal material of the Hebrew Bible. There is a common belief that since Christians follow the New Covenant, these laws are deemed null or fulfilled by Christ, and therefore do not require attention, or at least not the same level one would grant other biblical texts. The issue with this belief is that the legal material is part of the Christian canon, and therefore—doctrinally speaking—deserves serious attention. In seeking a robust and enduring reason to engage the legal material, I propose that evangelicals adopt a rabbinic concept that interrogates and develops one’s disposition toward Torah. This rabbinic concept is תורה לשמה (Torah lishmah), or “Torah for its own sake.” In this rabbinic understanding, when one studies Torah, one should study it lishmah, “for its own sake”—and no other. I argue that Torah lishmah for a Christian can mean to study Torah—especially the legal material—not simply because it might be personally or communally beneficial, but because it is divine teaching, because it is given to be studied and known intimately in all its detail, in both its theological and embodied aspects, because studying it is an act of lovingkindness toward God, a giving of oneself out of love and loyalty. How do evangelicals learn how to adopt Torah lishmah? I suggest that we have the rabbis to guide us: a vast array of texts from late antiquity onward, documenting the attempts of numerous rabbis to engage Torah lishmah. I propose that we read these texts alongside our own biblical commentaries, so that we might learn what Torah lishmah is and how it might positively affect our approach to the legal material. To begin this process and to help illustrate my proposal, I start at Mount Sinai and the giving of the Ten Words—that is, the Decalogue, as it appears in Exod 20:2-17. The rabbinic midrashic commentary I use to engage the Decalogue is known as the Mekhilta d’Rabbi Ishmael, a tannaitic halakhic commentary on the Book of Exodus. To help contextualize and ground my explication, I compare the Mekhilta’s interpretations with those of Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE), one of the most influential theologians and exegetes among the Church Fathers, and certainly one of the most important progenitors of evangelical Christianity. Together, the Mekhilta and Augustine’s interpretations are then brought into conversation with contemporary evangelical commentaries on the Decalogue. I compare especially each genre’s presuppositions, contexts, interests, insights, and methods. Through these comparisons, I underscore key insights Christians might learn from the rabbinic interpretations. Most importantly, through these comparisons, I determine the meaning and significance of Torah lishmah for an evangelical. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

Picture a historical library and a historical art museum coming together to challenge the interaction between each other to help experience, explore, and discover the past within the present. While it sounds like a good idea, it is rare to see a library and museum under one roof. With the increasing population of tourists looking to visit places and buildings that reconnect with history, there is a higher demand for places to be able to 're-live the past' through art and literature. People enjoy visiting places where history was made and where it becomes part of a city's identity. With modern developments taking over, historical buildings are beginning to disappear. Designing a library and museum partnership is a solution to creating two institutions under one roof while preserving the space usually needed for both institutions if built separately. In order to challenge the idea of a hybrid building within a historical city, there needs to be an element of culture and historical remembrance that creates a shield against that city's potential loss of identity. Memory has become a key element in our true identity, becoming a form of support against erasure. It is that sense of culture and historical remembrance that will create recognition of things past. In order to address Florida's historical culture, the proposed site will be located in St. John's County, which includes America's oldest city St. Augustine. There are many different historical periods in St. Augustine that create its current cultural atmosphere. It is important to choose an environment where historical events took place because it allows the memory process of a place to create past experiences to be shared with new experiences. Through a methodology of the historical culture and conditions of the site, this thesis project will honor St. Augustine's culture by integrating the past with the present and creating a modern hybrid institution for the city. Furthermore, integrating the past with the present will allow users to enjoy St. Augustine as it used to be and as it currently is today.

This paper attempts to compare the ecc1esio1ogies of the fourth century Bishop of Hippo and the controversial twentieth century theo1ogian. In doing so, a study is made of each writer independently in order to extract his conceptual models of the Church. Special significance is given to the names each attributed to the Church and the consequences of these names as they pass from an analogical to an ecc1esio1ogica1 sphere. A study is also made of the functions of office within the Church with respect to the fulfillment of specific ministries. Here the two divide, Augustine meets the Donatist challenge by condemning disunity, while urging contemporary Christians to true internal reform, reminding them of the necessity of grace available only through the Church to heal their natures. Special attention is given to two specific topics from Augustine: the use of force to compel at least outward conformity, and the belief in the inability of man to do any good outside the Body of Christ. Kung diverges in another way in different times. He emphasizes the communal nature of the Church as those called by God and, on earth, represented by the ministry of ecclesiological office, including Ecumenical Councils and the Papacy. The Church, according to Kung, is the Kingdom of God moving towards manifestation and must reflect its apocalyptic nature by its witness and proclamation of the Word. He finds fault with the teaching office of the Church for its adherence to verbal propositions and concludes advocating a non-propositional attachment to kerygma. The contrast between the writers is sharply emphasized by a comparison of their positions on certain points, including authority, the Papacy and finally the four marks or distinguishing characteristics of the Church. The attitudes towards the first two differ markedly on some points, but a consistency of approach towards the four marks of the Church, with the exception of the Apostolic characteristic, can be seen. Several conclusions are propounded but the essence of each lies in the attitude of each writer towards human nature. Augustine finds the same wholly depraved without grace, which is given through the Word and human collaboration. Kung finds a response to divine call sufficient and is less concerned with limits on freedom in the name of love of neighbor. The interplay between these two schools of thought has punctuated Church history in the same manner as it does human history.

Throughout his career Augustine wrote often about the attainment of the vision of God, in which God would be seen face-to-face without the need of signs and symbols. He understood this vision to be the ultimate goal of Christianity, for in this contemplation of the divine believers attain true happiness through the enjoyment ofGod. Given the centrality ofthe vision of God in Augustine's writings, one would expect the secondary literature to be replete with references to this facet of his thought. However, this is not the case. While minor studies have been produced on the vision of God and Augustine, no major study exists. This thesis is an attempt to address, at least in some measure, this scholarly lacuna. In this thesis I attempt to examine Augustine's conception of the attainment of the vision of God as formulated at different points of his career in order to analyse the evolution of his thought. To accomplish this task I chose three principal writings from his corpus in which the vision of God plays an especially prominent role, each of which provides a window into the mindset of Augustine at a particular period of his life; they are De Quantitate Animae (The Greatness ofthe Soul), written c. 387; Confessiones, completed between 397 and 401; and De Trinitate (On the Trinity), completed c. 420. Through an analysis of Augustine's conception ofthe vision of God in each of these writings, I argue that his understanding ofthe means by which the vision is attained evolves as his career progresses. For example, in De Quantitate Animae Augustine posits that the soul can attain the vision of God in this life through a Plotinian-style interior withdrawal, and while he suggests that the church and the incarnate Son of God play a role in the soul's ascent to God, precisely what role they play is ambiguously formulated. Later writings, however, indicate that Augustine's conception of the vision of God evolved and I argue that the development of Augustine's conception of the attainment of the vision of God is a development which sees him moving steadily away from a positive understanding ofhuman potentiality toward a conception ofthe drastic consequences of human fallenness which is directly related to wrongly-ordered love, and away from an emphasis on interiority as a means of purification and toward an understanding of God as purifier in and through the Holy Spirit, whereby the individual is purified through the collective purification of the community manifesting the love that is the Holy Spirit. A more pronounced and nuanced conception ofthe role of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and ofthe community ofthe church in the attainment ofthe vision of God eschatologically thus characterises the evolution of Augustine's conception of humanity's ascent to the divine. This development also finds Augustine placing progressively less emphasis on the attainment of the vision of God in this life. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Philip K. Dick was a seminal science fiction author with much interest in theological and philosophical questions. This essay is interested in what Dick’s novel Counter-Clock World expresses about two themes: “time and eternity” along with “omniscience”. The purpose is to come closer to an understanding of the theology expressed in the novel, in relation to the theology of Augustine and Eriugene, who are two of the theologians mentioned in the novel. In the analysis a hybrid text-centered method of hermeneutics is used with some regards to the authors point of view, a method inspired by professor of literature Torsten Pettersson.  The result of the analysis shows that the resurrection described in the novel is central in the matter of time perception. Augustine’s presentism is clear. The characters have been part of eternity and God while being dead, which is related to Eriugene’s thought about the close relationship between the created and the uncreated. The contemplative knowledge of God is recurrent. The resurrected have received a part of God’s secret and by extension his omniscience. The head character, the anarch Thomas Peak, is a clear example of this. Moreover, Augustine’s thought of the divine gaze is recurrent.  The essay argues that academic scholars can find inspiration from fiction. Fiction authors have the possibility to explore theological questions in a way that scholars may have a hard time doing. This because there are neither requirements for coherence in fiction nor a need for responsibility in terms of the consequences of the concepts being explored. This is a creativity that can give fuel to a stagnated theology.

The fast growth of the urban population affects city life by degrading natural and social resources. Urban developments modify resources such as forest, land, and water, but also modify the intimate relationship of people with the landscape. Many times, the damage of those resources is irreversible, and provokes dramatic changes in the natural landscape and the uniqueness of the place is missing. Despite the intense discussion that landscape architects and scientists worldwide hold about social and environmental aspects in urban environments, many questions about how to support natural and cultural landscapes, or why to keep them are not answered in the existing waterfronts and re-developments at the water's edge. For this reason, the recovering of urban waterfronts is an opportunity to promote ecologically healthy environments, address sense of place, support human gatherings, and encourage economic revitalization. This thesis and its research analyzes the components of the natural regional landscape in recovering waterfronts in order to avoid the loss of the uniqueness of a place. A section of beachfront in St. Augustine Beach, Florida that has suffered beach erosion and development pressures was chosen for the study. The result is an alternative proposal to costly dredging and beach reclamation that includes a series of tools, interventions, and landscape modifications of this threatened site. This proposal aims to return the site to a balanced and friendly landscape. Waterfronts in cities are an opportunity to reconnect communities with their cultural and geographic landscape. / Master of Landscape Architecture