Augustine and Augustinianisms Unit

Two Sessions on Augustine, Slavery, and Race

Slavery was ubiquitous in late Antique Rome, and the concept of slavery profoundly shaped Augustine’s theological, ethical, philosophical, and political thought. Recent work in Augustine studies has begun to explore these topics critically analyzing Augustine’s account of slavery and its role in his broader ethics and politics, exploring slavery’s central but often disavowed role in the Augustinian tradition of political thought, while also pressing toward constructive alternatives in conversation with the resources of Black Studies. Given Augustine’s importance to the history of slavery and the role of the Augustinian tradition in the development of modern logics of racialization, there is ample opportunity for further work on Augustine, slavery, and race. We, therefore, are invited papers employing methods from any and all disciplines engaging Augustine and Augustinianisms on the topics of slavery and race.

Supplementing our open call for papers on Augustine, slavery, and race, we plan to hold a book panel on two books soon to be published on the subject, “Recent Books on Augustine, Slavery and Race: Toni Alimi’s Slaves of God: Augustine and Other Romans on Religion and Politics (Princeton University Press, 2024) and Matthew Elia’s The Problem of the Christian Master: Augustine in the Afterlife of Slavery (Yale University Press, 2024).” Both authors will be present and talk about their books, respond to the other’s book, followed by a robust conversation.