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Chapter 9 - Peregrinationes in Psalmos

from Part II - Religion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2021

By
Catherine Conybeare
Edited by
Harriet I. Flower
Harriet I. Flower
Affiliation:
Princeton University, New Jersey
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Summary

This chapter examines the dynamics of the notion of peregrinatio in Augustine’s thought, with particular attention given to its use in the Enarrationes in Psalmos. It uses Derrida’s reflections on metaphor to explore the rich regression of images in peregrinatio. Augustine uses the concept, literally denoting the status of a resident alien, to express the affective dynamics of a Christian living away from their home in the heavenly Jerusalem: their sense of misalignment in the world, but also their sense of joy in the very transience of their existence. For no one can be a peregrinus without having a home from which he has traveled, and to which he looks forward to returning. Derrida’s phrase the “destinerrancy of desire” perfectly captures this Augustinian notion.

Keywords

metaphorperegrinatiopsalmsAugustineDerridahomesermonssinging
Type
Chapter
Information
Empire and Religion in the Roman World , pp. 212 - 231
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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