Education In The Augustinian Tradition

As a part of the Catholic religious order which traces its origins to St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430), Villanova Preparatory School promotes his ideal of a community where its members are “of one mind and heart on the way towards God.” An Augustinian approach to education seeks to create a community context in which learning can flourish. As an Augustinian school, Villanova Preparatory School is part of an international network of schools and universities in 38 countries worldwide.

Villanova Preparatory School finds in the life and writings of St. Augustine a compelling legacy. The fifth century bishop, philosopher and theologian passionately believed the search for understanding and truth to be a common quest, leading seekers ultimately to God, the source of all truth and wisdom. As an Augustinian school, Villanova is a community of teachers, students, and parents who support and challenge one another in their learning and study, who need the diversity of experience, faith and perspectives that enrich the life of the school and its mission to educate young people, and who affirm with Augustine that faith and reason together are reliable guides in the human search for understanding.

Augustine’s thought and writings were part of a life spent in the service of the people of his North African diocese amidst the political and social ferment of the late Roman Empire. His care and concern for others provide the members of our community with a model for using our knowledge and expertise to effect change in our society. At Villanova we seek an education that leads “through knowledge to wisdom,” and to a commitment to justice, peace, and service to society with the values disclosed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the vast writings of St. Augustine (some five million of his words are indexed in computers at Germany’s Wurzburg University), we find no systematic and clear presentation of a scheme for Christian education. But what we do find and what grounds Augustinian education, are the unifying values that come from a reflection on his life and teachings. These values are the signature set of over-arching and integrative values of Augustinian education, they are the unifying values of Augustinian education and Villanova Preparatory School. Briefly, they are:

Community (Unitas)
With an understanding of the profound unity of all creatures based on creation by God and re-creation in Christ, our community strives to express this reality in service of the common good, respect for differences, and welcome to a diversity of cultures and talents.

Truth (Veritas)
We are rooted in the truth known by reason and faith about ourselves and the world with knowledge that God is the source of all truth. With faith and reason, like two great wings, we fly to Truth.

Love (Caritas)
The great commandment of Christ is love of God and neighbor. He tells us, “God is love.” The school community attempts to express Christ’s commandment through “active friendship” which moves the heart and mind to action, often with sacrifice, for the good of others and of the community.

Villanova’s school wide learning goals express these values by
+ a search for truth through the mastering of knowledge and effective communication;
+dedication to life-long learning with the skills to achieve it;
+cooperative skills to share knowledge, goals, and one’s life;
+and knowledge and practice of Gospel values to encourage lifetime service in the City of God and the City of Man.

In summary, Augustinian Education regards education as an essentially pastoral activity with regard to the whole and integral development of a young person’s mind, spirit, and body. Villanova Preparatory School, in the spirit of St. Augustine, attempts to teach the truth with love, and strives to enable our students to acquire, along with a human and scientific culture, a knowledge of the world, of life, and of humanity that is illumined by faith.

For more about St. Augustine, the Order of St. Augustine, and Augustinian Education, go to www.augnet.org, www.osanet.org , www.osa-west.org.