Smoke,wind,and that journey upwards: Augustinian reflections on the role of humility in virtue formation

Augustine’s training in pagan rhetoric, his classical education, and the productive tensions he experienced between pagan and Christian exemplars played a formative role in his spiritual journey. An examination of the generative aspects of these encounters with otherness yields insights for our own understanding, not just of the importance to ethical formation of loyalty to community and tradition, but also of reason-giving practices that extend across communities—practices that thrive when cultivated with Augustinian humility. Turning to Augustine can help us transcend the divide between traditionalist defenders of “character education” and liberal defenders of critical reflection and autonomy.