Karla Pollmann, born in Tübingen, Germany, in 1963. Ph.D. from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Professor of Classics at the University of St.Andrews.
Fellow (1 September 2008 – 30 June 2009)
AUGUSTINE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND SALVATION
I made some progress with my own topic on the reception of Augustine’s De Genesi ad Litteram, which has already resulted in a few publications. Their main focus is on the fact that when Augustine confesses in this work to having doubts or sees the issue at stake as not (yet) settled, the receiving sources often quote Augustine out of context and suggest confidence and finality: the aporetic becomes apodictic. I have also drafted a first outline of a book I plan to dedicate to this under-researched work of Augustine’s.
However, my main energy was devoted to the theme group I was leading. This included contributions to meetings which covered both individual research and the collaborative interests of the group such as the definition of reception and of Augustinianism, and the organisation of three workshops. The final one aimed at a first synthesis of this year’s work, under the heading of “The Fragility of Authority”.