Villanova University is one of only two Catholic Augustinian institutions of higher education in the nation

For Immediate Release
Sept. 14, 2009

VILLANOVA, PA., September 14, 2009 – Villanova University will host an international conference on the thought and legacy of Saint Augustine of Hippo, Reconsiderations III, Sept. 17-19. Leading scholars from around the world will attend and participate in the event, which is open to the public. The conference is sponsored by The Augustinian Institute. Villanova University is one of only two Catholic Augustinian institutions of higher education in the nation.

The Augustinian Institute serves Villanova University as a resource for giving Augustine’s thought a vibrant and integral place within academic and community life. Besides the Reconsiderations Conference, the Institute sponsors numerous lectures and events including the Patristic, Medieval, Renaissance Conference, The Vivian Lamb Lecture Series, St. Augustine Lectures and In Dialogue with Augustine Seminar.

Reconsiderations III kicks off with an opening Saint Augustine Lecture Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Villanova Room of The Connelly Center. The lecture is free and open to the public. All sessions on Sept. 18-19 will take place at The Villanova Conference Center, 601 County Line Road in Radnor, Pa. The two-day conference is $95 to attend, $55 for students. For the complete schedule, or to register for the conference visit: www.villanova.edu/artsci/augustinianinstitute/conferences/reconsiderations

“This gathering of scholars has special meaning this year,” remarked Allan Fitzgerald, O.S.A., director of the Augustinian Institute. “We celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Saint Augustine Lecture, and commemorate the founder and inspiration for the Reconsiderations series, Fr. Thomas Martin, whose ‘hand’ is still evident in the welcoming atmosphere of this conference."

The late Reverend Thomas Martin, O.S.A., was The Augustinian Institute’s first director from 2002-2009 and “continues to be its animating spirit,” said James Wetzel, Ph.D., Augustinian Chair in the Thought of St. Augustine. Father Martin, who passed away in February, was a professor in Villanova’s Department of Theology and Religious Studies.

The first Reconsiderations Conference was held in 2003, with the second following in 2006. On both occasions, leading scholars from around the world were invited to Villanova and their papers were published in the Journal of Augustinian Studies.

Villanova University, a co-educational Roman Catholic institution, was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842. A premier institution of higher education, Villanova provides a comprehensive education rooted in the liberal arts; a shared commitment to the Augustinian ideals of truth, unity and love; and a community dedicated to service to others. A wide variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs are offered through the University’s four colleges: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering and the College of Nursing, as well as the Villanova School of Law. With a total enrollment that surpasses 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students, Villanova is the oldest and largest Catholic university in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.