Augustine of Hippo: A Controversial Life



Overview

Born to a Berber mother and a Roman father, Augustine grew up in North Africa in the latter part of the 4th century. His words and ideas, however, influenced not only the development of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire in his era and beyond, but also fields as diverse as semiotics and music, and indeed many of the assumptions and ideas in the world we live in today.

From his early philosophical works, through his Confessions--one of the first texts to capture the journey of the interior life--to his later polemical treatises, Augustine wrote with captivating vividness and astonishing intellectual capacity. In order to get as well-rounded a picture of him as possible, each week will focus on a different role he filled or a controversy he waded into. We will immerse ourselves in the thought world of an ancient and yet surprisingly relatable figure of tremendous influence. 

Note: The main primary sources for this course can be found in the book Augustine: In His Own Words by William Harmless. Students are encouraged to obtain a copy of this text.

Programme details

Course begins: 21 Jan 2025

Week 1:  Early life and the Confessions

Week 2:  The Philosopher

Week 3:  The Bishop 

Week 4:  The Preacher 

Week 5:  The Exegete

Week 6:  Controversy 1: Against the Manichees

Week 7:  Controversy 2: Against the Donatists

Week 8:  The Theologian: On the Trinity

Week 9:  Controversy 3: The City of God, against the pagans

Week 10:  Controversy 4: The Pelagians

Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points 

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee for each course you enrol on. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. If you do not register when you enrol, you have up until the course start date to register and pay the £30 fee. 

See more information on CATS point

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework, but only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education, you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee. 

 

Digital credentials

All students who pass their final assignment, whether registered for credit or not, will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so. 

Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. 

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £285.00
Take this course for CATS points £30.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Susan Griffith

Dr Griffith is an Associate Member of the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford and a member of Wolfson College, specialising in early Christianity and patristics.

Course aims

To gain a deeper understanding of the life and thought of Augustine of Hippo.

Course Objectives

1. To introduce students to a broad range of works by an influential thinker and theologian.

2. To encourage students to go deeper into texts and topics that particularly interest them. 

3. To experience the reward of reading a thinker's own words. 

Teaching methods

Each week will focus on a topic and related primary source texts. Pre-recorded lectures will provide context and introduce key concepts and live online seminar will allow us to discuss the readings in depth. For those who wish to go deeper, plentiful resources will be provided for further reading. You will also have the opportunity for ongoing discussions about the reading throughout the week via the Canvas portal.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

1. read a wide range of Augustine's writings;

2. gain insight into the social, cultural, political, and religious context in which he produced these works;

3. be able to trace the development of his thought over time.

Assessment methods

Either

Option A: Three very short (c. 500 words) essays connecting historical doctrinal disagreements to contemporary debates or beliefs.

Or

Option B: One short (c. 1,500 words) essay. Students will be asked first to provide a short (c. 300 words) plan for the essay. 

Please note that the reading list contains not just core texts for everyone, but also suggested texts suitable for a range of essay topics. 

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work the required standard.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

 

Application

We will close for enrolments 14 days prior to the start date to allow us to complete the course set up. We will email you at that time (14 days before the course begins) with further information and joining instructions. As always, students will want to check spam and junk folders during this period to ensure that these emails are received.

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment Form (Word) or Enrolment Form (Pdf)

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support