The Georgetown University Department of Theology and Religious Studies invites you to the 

7th Annual Costan Lecture in Early Christianity

Columba Stewart, OSB

Professor of Theology, St. John’s University (Minnesota)

Executive Director, Hill Museum & Manuscript Library

“Ascetic Influencers: The Manichaeans and the 

Development of Early Christian Asceticism”

Tuesday, November 9, 5:00 p.m.

ICC Auditorium

Reception to Follow (Tent on White-Gravenor Esplanade)

This lecture will recover the role played by the followers of Mani, “Apostle of Jesus Christ” (216-277 CE), and the church he created, in the formation of the Christian ascetical movements out of which “monasticism” emerged in the fourth and fifth centuries. Recovery of Manichaean manuscripts in the twentieth century and their eventual publication has transformed our understanding of the origins of the Manichaean movement, its prominence and geographical spread in Late Antiquity, and the threat it posed to Nicene Christianity not only by its beliefs but also by the ascetic practice of its elite core.

This year's lecture will be given by Columba Stewart OSB, a medievalist specializing in Christian monasticism who gave the NEH Jefferson Lecture in 2019. He is also executive director of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library at St. John's University and Abbey in Minnesota. 

Please click here to register: RSVP for Costan Lecture, or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/7th-annual-costan-lecture-in-early-christianity-tickets-185981574897. The event will also be live-streamed for those unable to attend in person. 

Georgetown University students and faculty affiliated with the Global Medieval Studies Program are also invited to participate in a Conversation with Dr. Columba Stewart OSB on Monday, November 8th, from 4:00 to 5:30pm. Due to COVID-19 protocols, only 15-20 in-person attendees will be permitted; additional attendees will be able to participate live over Zoom. Please register for the event here. 

COVID-19 SAFETY: Georgetown University is a vaccinated campus. Members of the GU community should expect to show their GOcards; visitors should show confirmation of having submitted documentation via the public health portal (link provided with registration). Everyone inside a university building is required to wear a mask covering mouth and nose at all times.

For more information, please write to Costan.Lecture@georgetown.edu.