By Julia Mericle
News Editor
Gerald Boersma, Ph.D., recently accepted the Patricia H. Imbesi Saint Augustine Fellowship of Villanova University. Boersma will spend next semester at Villanova University working on a book project on Augustine’s theology of the beatific vision.
The assistant professor of theology said the well-known fellowship, which is offered to an outstanding Augustine or Augustinian Tradition scholar each spring semester, has always been on his radar.
To be considered for the fellowship, applicants were required to submit a description of his or her research project plan and a proposal to lead a faculty/graduate student seminar.
Boersma’s planned book project will focus on Augustine’s theology of the beatific vision, or the Christian hope of seeing God after death.
Boersma said he became interested in studying Augustine as a graduate student, especially Augustine’s political theology. Since then, Boersma has earned his Ph.D. in Augustine at the University of Durham in Durham, England.
“When I got to Durham, I decided to start, as one might expect, with Augustine’s early works, and I never quite left,” Boersma said.
Writing “The Context of Augustine’s Early Theology of Image,” to be released in 2016, sparked Boersma’s interest in the topic of beatific vision.
“I am interested in exploring what Augustine means by ‘seeing God,’” Boersma said. “Much of Augustine’s thought revolves around thinking theologically about the scriptural promise that the ‘pure in heart shall see God’ (Matt 5:8) and that ‘we shall see him as He is’ (1 John 3:2).”
According to Boersma, his book project aims to examine questions, including whether the “seeing” will be through bodily eyes or in a spiritual sense.
The first section of the book will address Augustine’s Platonic heritage, Boersma said.
“What does Plato, and later Neo-Platonists, understand by ‘seeing God’ and how does Augustine distinguish himself form that earlier tradition?” Boersma asked.
According to Boersma, most of the semester will be spent researching and writing; however, he has two formal obligations for the fellowship: to lead a faculty/graduate student colloquia and to deliver the Imbasi lecture.
To prepare for the fellowship, Boersma said he attended several conferences to deliver papers that deal with select Augustine texts.
“It has been very enriching and helpful to get feedback from the various panelists and people at the conferences,” Boersma said.
Boersma added he is studying the texts to lead the faculty/graduate student colloquia.
“Typically, if you are leading the discussion you should know a fair bit about the text and have spent some time with it, so the dialogue can be fruitful to yourself and others,” Boersma said.
Villanova University will provide Boersma with an office at the university and housing arrangements for him and his family.
“I certainly plan on being back at Bonaventure again next fall,” Boersma said. “I will miss my colleagues and students next spring, but am thrilled with the opportunity to make significant headway on my writing project.”
mericlje13@bonaventure.edu
