Reginald Foster (Latinist)

Reginald Foster gives a lesson on the ablative absolute in Arpinum, Summer 2004

Father Reginald Foster is a Roman Catholic priest and monk of the order of Discalced Carmelites. He is an American, having been born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin around 60 years ago. He currently works in the "Latin Letters" department of the Vatican. He is best known for his famous Latin summer courses which he holds every year. These courses are attended by students and scholars from around the world.

Foster is a leading authority on the Latin language. Although he does not possess any advanced university degrees, many admire him for his fluency in communicating orally in Latin, and thorough knowledge of Latin literature of all eras.

Latin class

Father Foster's course "Aestiva Romae Latinitas", or Summer Latin in Rome, has been held every summer since the 1970s at the Janiculum Hill in Rome. He does not charge anything, only requiring the student to possess basic knowledge of Latin, love of the language, and the will to learn more, making the course very popular.

Foster's summer courses consist of two "tracks" - the "iuniores" and the "seniores". Each day (six days a week, Sundays off), his classes meet, beginning around 1:00 p.m., in the classroom of an elementary school that donates use of one of their rooms. The iuniores meet for one session of an hour and a half; then, after a short break, a joint session of the iuniores and seniores meets. After another break, the seniores meet alone for a session.

In addition to these classes, Foster also holds meetings "sub arboribus" (under the trees) in the early evening. At these meetings, any interested party shows up for practice in conversational Latin.

On Sundays during the summer, Foster leads excursions into such places as Pompeii, the Roman Forum, and the Castelli Romani. For these gatherings, Foster provides booklets of readings in Latin that his students take turns translating at each site. These meetings are almost invariably followed by dinner at a small Italian restaurant near each locale.

Entry to the summer course is provisional upon completion of a written test, which Foster provides upon request, either via snail mail or fax. He does not use email (at least as of May 2005) or computers in general. Interested students should plan to contact him well in advance prior (ideally no later than March for the upcoming year, though sooner would be better). These classes are generally populated by professors, graduate students, and undergradate students from around the world, as well as a small number of priests, seminarians, and nuns.

Foster has developed quite a cult following among American academics. Several American universities have modeled their Latin programs in imitation of Foster's teaching style.

Foste also teaches during the regular academic year in the Gregorian University in Rome. These classes consist of five "experiences", broken down such that the first, third, and fourth experiences cover basic grammar and practice readings. The second experience is a conversational practice class, and is open to students of all levels. The fifth class is the most advanced class, and is taught at a higher level (much of it in Latin) than just about any other Latin class in the world. These classes at the Gregorian are populated almost exclusively by Catholic clergy, seminarians, nuns, etc., and by a very small number of laypersons. The fifth experience, however, tends to attract mostly laypersons.

His unique teaching style has made him the subject of some documentaries made by the BBC and a chapter in Alexander Stille's book "The Future of the Past". It is characterized by a gruff style that feigns anger, disappointment, and a sense of despair for the future of Latin studies. Yet most students see that the demeanor is merely part of his style, and consider his 'tough love' approach a refreshing contrast to the coddling of undergraduate American curricula.

References

A. Stille: "The Future of the Past: How the Information Age Threatens to Destroy our Cultural Heritage" ISBN 0-330-37534-2

External links

• FAQ de Aestiva Romae Latinitatis
• The Latin Lover (Foster's radio show)
• Learn Latin with Father Reginaldus Foster
• Sermones Leonis Magni (The sermons of Pope Leo I, read by Reginald Foster)
• more links

Newspaper articles

• Roman Rebound
• Forget 'Hic, Haec, Hoc.' Try 'O Tempora! O Lingua!'
• Passion for Latin Thrives in Rome
• Vatican's Latin expert no stuffy academic