Great Texts Professor Launches Boethius Project
Fifteen hundred years ago, one of the most important persons in the world found himself in trouble with the Roman emperor. Accused of treason and exiled, the good fortune and measureless blessing he had known were lost. Shaken to his core, this man, Boethius, questioned his faith in God and commitment to virtue.
Now, a cadre of Honors College faculty is bringing new attention to Boethius’ book, The Consolation of Philosophy, in honor of its 1,500th anniversary. Led by Sarah-Jane Murray, Ph.D., professor of great texts and creative writing, they want not only to commemorate Boethius’ life (he was executed by the emperor in 524), but to recover and lift up the wisdom of his greatest book. This effort, The Boethius Project, made a soft launch earlier this year, with milepost events scheduled in coming months.
A centerpiece of the project is a feature documentary on Boethius and the Consolation. After the teaser trailer was recently shared on social media, over 70,000 views were logged in a matter of hours, with thousands more in subsequent days. The teaser, viewable here, is an exciting first installment on much more to come.
“Sarah-Jane Murray’s erudition and creativity advance Baylor’s Christian mission not only in the classroom, but for wider publics around the world,” said Honors College Dean Douglas Henry, Ph.D. “I’m incredibly proud of the effort she’s leading with The Boethius Project. Embracing the Consolation’s wisdom would incalculably improve our world.”
For over 1,000 years, The Consolation of Philosophy—which Henry numbers among his top five texts of all time—was the most copied and read book in the world, apart from the Bible. Although sometimes neglected, he says the text deserves our attention more than ever and praises its place in the Honors College curriculum. The attention appears well given. C.S. Lewis wrote that “until about two hundred years ago it would . . . have been hard to find an educated man in any European country who did not love it.” Dante celebrates Boethius as “The blessed soul who exposes the deceptive world to anyone who gives ear to him.”
Faculty who teach the book agree that the questions Boethius raises are timeless. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why can fortune never be trusted? What is happiness? Is virtue its own reward? Are we right to hope in God?
More importantly, they believe the answers he offers are priceless. According to Murray “Boethius invites us into the timeless human quest for meaning, justice, and human flourishing, even in the face of great adversity. In today's hyper-polarized world, our capacity for deep, meaningful reflection is more fragmented than ever. But Boethius's insights into the nature of happiness are a powerful antidote to society's cult of fleeting influence and false, empty promises. With the Boethius Project, we aim to bring his teachings to life in formats that are both accessible and transformative, and to inspire viewers to reflect on their own lives. We hope that they'll accept our invitation to engage deeply with Boethius and make him their thought partner for years to come. That's what being part of the great conversation is all about."
Melinda Nielsen, Ph.D., associate professor of classical literature and a colleague of Murray’s in the Great Texts Program, holds Boethius in equally high regard. She says, "Boethius loved the wisdom of the classical world and the beauty of the natural world, but he loved the God who created them more. After dedicating his life to saving and transmitting the highest moments of philosophy, music, mathematics, poetry, nonetheless, at the end of the day, he was able to have it all stripped away from him and affirm with his blood that God alone is happiness."
The Boethius Project is one among several initiatives of The Greats Story Lab, started by Murray in 2023 to produce “compelling and innovative content that bridges film, education, and cutting-edge technologies,” with an eye on “making the big questions about what it means to be human accessible to everyone, everywhere.” Earlier this year, Murray was joined by Courtney Becker, a Baylor Honors College alumna, as full-time co-founder and lab director.
“In wide swaths of academia, handwringing about the humanities’ demise is common,” Henry notes, “but not at Baylor. Among our faculty, in classrooms alongside students, and in contributions to public humanities initiatives that benefit thousands near and far, we’re lifting up great works that explore great questions. In the light of Christ, their art and wisdom shines all the more luminously.”
If you would like to read the Consolation in community while the project develops, a daily reflection is available via Murray’s X account (@SJ_Murray).