The most dramatic decisions we make pertain to our belief systems and relationships: embracing a particular creed, proposing a marriage, leaving the world for a life of contemplation. Our own age is one that eschews such commitments. We want to keep our options open, to make sure that we don’t get tied down to something—or someone—that we might find unfulfilling. At the same time, human life is defined and shaped by such existential commitments; for most people, they are the path to human fulfillment. This seminar series will examine how we make the decisions that determine the trajectory of our lives by analyzing conversion narratives in Augustine’s Confessions, Dante’s Divine Comedy, and Petrarch’s Secretum. What does it look like to convert to a new religion or way of life? What makes that conversion succeed, and what could lead to its failure?

Alex Cuadrado will lead this seminar series for undergraduate students. This is a Living the Core seminar series.

Reading

Augustine, Confessions, Book VIII (preferably Modern Library edition, trans. Sarah Ruden)

Schedule

• Tuesday, February 4: Petrarch

• Wednesday, February 12: Dante

• Wednesday, February 19: Augustine