COURSE DESCRIPTION

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2026-27 | A Year of Augustine

After the closing of the Scriptural canon, no single work has done more to shape the Christian heart than St. Augustine’s Confessions, and no single work has done more to shape the Christian mind than the City of God. Augustine’s influence on the Christian faith is almost too vast to fully comprehend, but this school year, I’m offering classes on his major works for anyone who wants to begin. We will read the Confessions in the fall and City of God in the spring.

 

Fall 2026 | Confessions

Apart from the Bible, no book has done more to define and clarify the Christian devotional life than St. Augustine’s Confessions. Confessions is a book written to God in a style which feels both ancient and contemporary, highly personal and yet universal. It is a spiritual autobiography, the first of its kind, but also patterned after the Psalms. Every Christian needs the great prayers of Scripture at his beck and call, and yet, the Confessions is an example of another kind of prayer—the desperate but daring outpouring of the heart to God.  

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St. Augustine’s Confessions for Beginners will offer students a slow, patient read of the entire text, with in-depth lectures on each of the thirteen chapters. We will discuss St. Augustine as an everyman, whose experiences resonate with our own, and St. Augustine as a unique intellectual hero who holds out a pattern for us to emulate. When the class is finished, students will be able to discuss the most important ideas in the Confessions with deep familiarity and joy.   

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BOOK LIST

Confessions by Saint Augustine, translated by Henry Chadwick​

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COURSE DATES

Tuesdays from 11:00 AM - noon, Mountain Standard Time. Course begins September 1 and ends December 8 (no class on Tuesday, October 6).

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COURSE LEVELS

Gibbs Classical courses are offered at two different levels: Student and Auditor.

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Student Level | Students will have entry into live Zoom classes, as well as access to recordings of class videos and the class Canvas page, where students may ask questions (of one another or Mr. Gibbs) and carry on discussions about the reading.

 

Students will be assigned two essays, one in the middle of the semester and the other at the end of the semester. Students are not required to complete the essays but may do so if they choose. The essays should be a minimum of 1200 words long and will receive written feedback which will be returned to students and parents. Students have the option to resubmit their work for additional feedback.

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Student Level Pricing is as follows: 

1 class - $325

2 classes - $600

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Auditor Level | Auditors will receive recordings of the class videos delivered by email every Saturday. The Auditor Level does not come with a Canvas login. It is ideal for anyone whose schedule does not allow attendance on class dates and who does not plan on doing any written work for the class. During the 14-week session, Joshua will offer two hour-long open Zoom sessions for auditors only on a weekday evening (dates will be provided by email at the beginning of the course). During these optional session, auditors are invited to discuss the reading or ask questions. 

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Auditor Level Pricing is as follows: ​

1 class - $265

2 classes - $500

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CLASS POLICIES

• Gibbs Classical courses are open to students aged 15 and above. Adults and college students are welcome. 

• No make-up sessions will be given in the event of a student absence, but recordings of the class will be available for all students. 

• Class will begin with the assumption that students have already done the reading which is being discussed.  

• All emails exchanged between students and Mr. Gibbs should be copied to a parent. All emails sent from Mr. Gibbs to individual students will be copied to parents. No private conversations between underage students and Mr. Gibbs will take place. 

• Students are expected to use their real names and unmodified backgrounds when in class Zoom sessions. 

• Students will be clearly informed of due dates for the two papers. It is the responsibility of the student to turn in work. If a student does not turn in work, Mr. Gibbs will not remind or hound the student to do so, neither will parents be notified. 

• Students are expected to be courteous and polite to one another in class. They are also expected to represent and defend their opinions with dignity and common sense. Disagreement between students will happen, but this is simply part of discussing politics and philosophy like mature adults. If one student’s feelings are hurt by another student, it does not necessarily mean anyone has been mistreated or that an apology is warranted. 

• Refund policy: A full refund is offered for anyone who decides to drop the class before the start date. A 50% refund is offered for anyone who drops the class before the second class meeting. 

• Late start policy: If there is space available, students and auditors may join the class after the start date but will not receive a discounted rate. ​​​