Augustine and the cure of souls
Subtitle: revising a classical ideal
By: Paul R. Kolbet
Series: Christianity and Judaism in antiquity
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Notre Dame, Ind
Language: eng
Number of pages: 342
ISBN-13: 9780268033217
Subjects: Augustine, -- Saint, Bishop of Hippo
Description: "Augustine and the Cure of Souls situates Augustine within the ancient philosophical tradition of using words to order emotions. Paul Kolbet uncovers a profound continuity in Augustine's thought, from his earliest pre-baptismal writings to his final acts as bishop, revealing a man deeply indebted to the Roman past and yet distinctly Christian. Rather than supplanting his classical learning, Augustine's Christianity reinvigorated precisely those elements of Roman wisdom that he believed were slipping into decadence. In particular, Kolbet addresses the manner in which Augustine not only used classical rhetorical theory to express his theological vision, but also infused it with theological content." "This book offers a fresh reading of Augustine's writings - particularly his numerous, though often neglected, sermons - and provides an illuminating point of entry into the great North African bishop's life and thought."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: Rhetoric and Christian identity in the Roman Empire; title: Sources and method; title: A classical ideal; title: Classical therapy : its origins, tasks, and methods; title: Psychagogy as a cultural ideal; title: Psychagogy in its classical form; title: Hellenistic reãnements; title: Cures for the roman soul; title: The psychagogic value of ancient texts; title: Revising and recontextualizing classical therapy; title: Augustine's early formation; title: An ambitious young orator; title: Being healed by beautiful words; title: Christianizing classical therapy; title: Christian philosophy and the cure of soul; title: Christ's inner and outer rhetoric; title: A new context for classical therapy; title: Ordination crisis; title: Controversies over the cure of soul; title: Signs eliciting love; title: Exegetical integration; title: Teaching the uninstructed; title: Augustine's homiletical practice; title: The Christian rhetor; title: Continuity amid discontinuity; title: Critical skills; title: Constructive guidance; title: Therapy and society; title: The incarnate word and community.