"Are Pear-Stealing Friends All That Bad? Revisiting Augustine on Friendship"
Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Time: 7:00 p.m.  
Location: Ft. Howard Theater, Bemis International Center, St. Norbert College

Dr. Paul Wadell
Professor of Religious Studies
St. Norbert College

A famous scene in Augustine’s Confessions looks back on the day that he and his friends stole some pears from a neighbor’s yard. In his recollection, Augustine judges that his companions were not true friends at all because in their company he was led to do something wrong. But is Augustine being too hard on his boyhood friends? And could he have been a better friend to them? With his pear-stealing friends in mind, this presentation will re-examine Augustine’s views on friendship and explore their significance for our friendships today.