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Erika Kidd

Associate Professor

Catholic Studies

  • Education

  • Villanova University ▪ Villanova, Pennsylvania ▪ August 2004-May 2014
    Dissertation title: “Verbum et Vita: A Reading of Augustine’s De magistro”
    Committee: Dr. James Wetzel, Dr. William Desmond, Dr. John Carvalho
    Focused on Augustine, late antique philosophy, and Wittgenstein

    Baylor University ▪ Waco, Texas ▪ August 2001-May 2004
    Graduated magna cum laude with a B.A., University Scholars major
    Studied philosophy, great texts, Latin, German, Greek

    Augustine College ▪ Ottawa, Ontario ▪ September 2000-April 2001
    Graduated cum laude from this one-year great books program
    Studied philosophy, theology, history of science, history of math, literature, art history, music, Latin

  • Expertise

  • Augustine and the Augustinian tradition Wittgenstein (particularly his sense of confessional philosophy) Late antique philosophy

  • Research Interests
  • Areas of Specialization
    Augustine and the Augustinian tradition
    Wittgenstein (including his sense of confessional philosophy)
    Areas of Competence
    Ancient Greek philosophy
    Late antique and medieval philosophy
    Modern philosophy and religious thought

Dr. Erika Kidd is an Associate Professor of Catholic Studies and Director of the Graduate Program. She studied philosophy, Latin, and great texts at Augustine College and Baylor University and received her PhD in philosophy from Villanova University.

She writes and speaks on St. Augustine and the Augustinian tradition. She is currently writing a book about how we can learn to hear the voice of God in our conversations with one another.

“Book IV: Fugitive Beauty”
In Augustine’s Confessions and Contemporary Culture, edited by Fr. David Meconi, S.J.. St. Paul, MN: Saint Paul Seminary Press, 2022.

“Grief, Memory, and the Order of Love” In Studia Patristica CXVI, Vol. 13 (2021): 19-25.

“In the Beginning: Wittgenstein Reads Augustine”
In Augustine and Wittgenstein, edited by John Doody, Alexander Eodice, and Kim Paffenroth, 37-56. Lanham, MD: Lexington Press, 2018.

“Parting Words: Augustine on Language and Loss”
Address given at the University of Dallas Braniff Conference on the Liberal Arts, revised and published in Ramify 6.1 (2017): 59-83.

“The Drama of De Magistro”
Studia Patristica XCVIII, Vol. 24 (2017): 133-139.

“Two-Part Invention: Voices from Augustine of Hippo's De magistro and Samuel Beckett’s Endgame”
Philosophy and Literature 40 (2016): 480-94.

“Making Sense of Virgil in De magistro”
Augustinian Studies 46 (2015): 211-224.

“All in the Family: Learning and Laughter in Augustine’s De magistro” and Invited American Catholic Philosophical Association Annual Meeting Lectures
  • St. Louis University, November 20, 2021
“The Vagaries of Heart-Sight: A Conversation After Augustine”
  • Panel discussion for Patristic, Medieval, and Renaissance Conference
  • Villanova University, October 16, 2021
“Medicine, Loss, and Christian Love”
  • Invited lecture for Portsmouth Institute for Faith and Culture Summer Virtual Conference
  • Zoom, June 17, 2021
"Love Comes to Grief: Scenes from Augustine’s Confessions”
  • Invited plenary address for “Friendship, Love and Happiness” conference
  • Scala Foundation, Princeton Theological Seminary, February 15, 2020
“Grief, Memory, and the Order of Love”
  • XVII International Conference on Patristic Studies
  • Oxford, England, August 19-24, 2019
“Fugitive Beauties”
  • Invited lecture for Augustine’s Confessions and Contemporary Culture workshop
  • University of St. Thomas, June 18-20, 2019
"In the Beginning: Wittgenstein Reads Augustine”
  • Patristic, Medieval, and Renaissance Conference
  • Villanova University, October 4, 2018
“What Child Is This? How Augustine Learns to Speak”
  • The North American Patristics Society
  • Chicago, IL, May 24, 2018
“Loving and Losing: An Augustinian Meditation”
  • Invited talk at Anselm House at the University of Minnesota, March 6, 2018
  • Revised version of this talk also delivered for the CSMA Annual Thought and Culture Lecture at the University of St. Thomas, March 25, 2019
“Getting Started with Augustine”
  • Invited workshop with Anselm House Fellows at the University of Minnesota
  • Minneapolis, MN, March 6, 2018
“Praying in the Bedchambers of the Heart: Augustine on Prayer and Intimacy”
  • North American Patristics Society
  • Chicago, IL, May 24, 2017
“Parting Words: Augustine on Language and Loss”
  • Invited plenary address at the Braniff Conference on the Liberal Arts, University of Dallas, January 27, 2017
  • Substantially revised version of this lecture delivered for the Patricia H. Imbesi Augustine Fellow public lecture, Villanova University, April 20, 2017
“How to Talk to Your Father: Some Augustinian Counsel”
  • Invited lecture at Eastern University, March 24, 2017
  • Lecture also delivered at Villanova University, as part of the Patricia H. Imbesi Augustine Fellowship, March 28, 2017
“Conversions (Confessions VIII)”
  • Invited to co-lead seminar (with Dr. Phil Cary) for the Collegium Institute’s Paideia Series on “Enchantment and Disenchantment in the Modern World”
  • Eastern University, March 24, 2017
“Teaching The Teacher: Augustine’s Dialogue in the Classroom” and “De magistro”
  • Invited to lead seminars on Augustine’s dialogue De magistro
  • Seminar for the faculty of the Departments of Philosophy and Theology focused on pedagogical matters related to teaching the text to undergraduates, Villanova University, February 14, 2017
  • Seminar for the faculty of the Department of the Humanities focused on several interpretative issues in the text, Villanova University, March 24, 2017
“Rationality and Recognition”
  • Invited panel response
  • “Thinking Humanly, Acting Wisely: A Symposium on Thomas Pfau’s Minding the Modern”
  • University of St. Thomas, February 11, 2016
“The Drama of De magistro”
  • XVII International Conference on Patristic Studies
  • Oxford, England, August 11, 2015
“Words, Afterwards”
  • Invited Lecture at Le Moyne Department of Philosophy
  • Syracuse, NY, April 15, 2015
"Augustine’s De magistro and Beckett’s Endgame: A Theological Fugue”
  • Philosophy Unbound: Lehigh Philosophy Department Annual Philosophy Conference
  • Bethlehem, PA, October 23, 2014
"The Meaning of Virgil’s Words in Augustine’s De magistro”
  • The North American Patristics Society
  • Chicago, IL, May 23, 2014
"Augustine’s Voice in Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations”
  • Stakes of Speech: A Summer Seminar on Wittgenstein in the Spirit of Cavell and Rhees
  • Lehigh University, July 12, 2012
“Verbum et Vita: Augustine’s De magistro and the Annunciation”
  • Patristic, Medieval and Renaissance Conference
  • Villanova University, October 23, 2010

"Writing in Figures" The Augustine Blog, May 16, 2022
https://augustineblog.com/writing-in-figures/

“How Mary’s Yes Offers Hope in the Darkness of Advent”
“How They Love Mary” podcast, December 13, 2021
https://howtheylovemary.fireside.fm/drerikakidd

“Considering Online Education Through Newman’s Principles”
In The Newman Review (not peer reviewed). February 24, 2021. Originally published in Lumen (Winter 2020).

“Augustine on Love and Loss”
“The Curious Catholic” podcast, April 2020
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5rzmw6eXc1Xw13P4ad6D4v

Faculty Development Internal Research Grant
  • Awarded to support work on a translation of one of Augustine’s early dialogues.
  • Spring 2018
Patricia H. Imbesi Saint Augustine Fellowship at Villanova University
  • Awarded by the Augustinian Institute to a scholar working on Augustine/the Augustinian tradition
  • This award was a one-semester research fellowship. My research and writing centered on Augustine’s discussions of grief and prayer in the Confessions and several earlier works.
  • Spring 2017
LuAnn Dummer Women’s Center Curriculum Development Grant
  • Awarded to support development of an interdisciplinary course on Mary, Mother of God
  • Fall 2015
Villanova University Summer Research Fellowship Recipient
  • Awarded to support the writing of a dissertation chapter and a conference paper
  • June-August 201
Collegium Phaenomenologicum Participant
  • “Belief After Reason: Hegel, Heidegger, Derrida,” Citta di Castella, Italy, July 14-August 1, 2008
  • Selected to attend this competitive program for advanced grad students and prominent faculty
  • Awarded travel funds by Villanova University
Graduate Assistantship Recipient
  • Awarded full stipend and tuition remission by Villanova University Philosophy Department
  • August 2004-May 2008