Marquette Jesuit philosopher to hold Augustinian Chair
Maureen McKew

The Rev. Roland J. Teske, S.J., professor of philosophy at Marquette University, has been named the third holder of the Augustinian Chair in the Thought of St. Augustine for the fall semester. Father Teske will teach two courses, one graduate and the other undergraduate Honors.

The graduate course, “Grace, Free Will, and Salvation in Augustine,” will examine the evolution of the thought of St. Augustine of Hippo on salvation, free will, and grace from his youth through his conversions to Manicheism and to Neoplatonic Christianity and to his third conversion in 396 to his mature understanding of the grace of God.  The course will continue to look at his understanding of salvation and grace in relation to freedom in his later controversy with Pelagius, with the monks of Africa and Provence, and with Julian of Eclanum, all of whom held quite different views of the roles of freedom and grace.

The undergraduate Honors course, “Christianity: Traditions and Transitions,” will be an introduction to the life and thought of Augustine, through his Confessions and other works. These include his writings regarding his association with the Manichees, as well as his conflicts with the Donatists and Pelagians.

Father Teske received a bachelor of arts, a licentiate on philosophy, a master of arts, and licentiate in theology from St. Louis University and a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Toronto. He is the author of 17 books, three of which are forthcoming, as well as more than 70 articles and books chapters, many of them on the works of St. Augustine.

Dr. John R. Johannes, vice president for Academic Affairs and a former colleague of Father Teske expressed his delight at the appointment. “Villanova is honored and proud to have Father Teske here,” Johannes said. “His scholarly record speaks for itself in establishing him as an authority on patristics and Augustinian studies. For many years, before I came to Villanova, he and I were colleagues at Marquette, So I take personal pride and pleasure in welcoming him. I know that his presence here will enrich Villanova’s intellectual life and will certainly benefit students and faculty alike.”