Augustine Blog Conference, Day 1

Augustine and Plato on "Going to Pieces"

Scotus on Natural Law

Part II: Fanon’s Descent Under the Burden of the White Gaze
The history of black people, as mentioned previously, is simultaneously erased and re-written by the white imagination.  This new history defines what a black person is—intellectually inferior, in need

Part I: Fanon’s Descent Under the Burden of the White Gaze
In his book, Black Skin, White Masks, Frantz Fanon challenges Merleau-Ponty’s inclusive notion of a corporeal schema and substitutes his own schemata, first an historical-racial schema, and second an epidermal racial schema.  Briefly stated (and more on this later), Merleau-Ponty’s corporeal schema describes the way

Rowan Williams on the Continuity-in-Discontinuity of Theological History (Re)writing
“By the time the first texts in the New Testament were being written, Christians were aware of tensions over whether they still shared the same identity as Jews; there were no short answers (there still aren’t in some important respects).  There was, they believed, fulfillment; there was also redefinition.  And whi

Descartes’ Ambivalent Relationship with Tradition
Descartes is often referred to as the “father” of modern philosophy and for good reasons.  In several of his works, Descartes speaks openly of his frustrations with his philosophical predecessors, highlighting the various ways that they contradict themselves and leave one in a state of skepticism and despair.  Although embracing fervently the scientific revolution of his day and hoping to cl

Dante’s Holistic Theological Poetry
For Dante the ultimate meaning of human history can be understood in terms of salvation history.  That is, Dante believes strongly in God’s providential guidance over human history; yet, within God’s providence there is a place for human freedom and deliberation.  God create