Vincent Van Gogh, First Steps, after Millet (1890). Public domain.

Vincent Van Gogh, First Steps, after Millet (1890). Public domain.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vincent_van_Gogh_-_First_Steps,_after_Millet

Since time immemorial, human beings have attempted to answer the most fundamental question about themselves: What does it mean to be human? One influential response to this quest for our identity was made by arguably the most prolific medieval thinker, Albert the Great (1200–1280). Studying Albert’s theological and philosophical corpora in conjunction, our working group seeks to grasp the complexity of his answer to this fundamental question in his vast oeuvre.

The group, which first met in April 2023, brings together many of the world’s leading experts on Albert in order to analyze his anthropological thought from historical, philosophical, and theological perspectives. Special attention is given to the confluence and reciprocity of differing philosophical and theological traditions.