The Emergence of Soul: Retrieving Augustine’s Potentialism for Contemporary Theological Anthropology

I shall argue, however, that it is possible to read Augustine differently, and to retrieve a more radical Augustinian potentialism—even with regard to the soul—that is of significance for the contemporary discussion of the emergence of human consciousness. Before embarking on this historical‐systematic exploration, however, I would like to indicate two reasons for why such a retrieval is especially relevant in the context of contemporary theological anthropology.