Montville U: Humility - The Secret of a Lost Virtue

Lecture by Dr. Christopher Bellitto

How can we rescue the ancient and medieval virtue of humility from the modern idea of
humiliation? Can we use what Dante called “the first virtue” to fight hybris, arrogance, and
narcissism today? Join us as we explore a biography of humility, moving from classical Hebrew
and Greek ideas through the medieval Jewish, Christian, and Muslim notion of learned
ignorance. When humility became a vice, trouble ensued: ask Faustus or Dr. Frankenstein.
Perhaps we can recover the positive notion of humility as a virtue for the common good in
service of others.  Adults only.  Registration required.

Dr. Bellitto is Professor of History at Kean University in New Jersey, where he
teaches courses in ancient and medieval history. A specialist in medieval and church history, his
latest book is Humility: The Secret History of a Lost Virtue (Georgetown University Press,
2023). He has twice won grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He has been
Visiting Scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary and a Fulbright Specialist in New Zealand
and the Netherlands.