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Jeffery Aubin and His Team of Student-Researchers: The Mutual Benefits of Research Collaboration

Research internships offer an invaluable opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience and insight into academic fields they may want to pursue. At Champlain St. Lawrence, Jeffery Aubin’s research project on early Christian philosophy, funded by the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ), has allowed three students—Maia Steer, Anthony Lemelin, and Jonathan Pelletier—to explore ancient thinkers while developing crucial research skills. While Anthony and Jonathan’s contracts are funded through this grant, Maia’s research internship is supported through the social innovation project L’expérience qui fait la différence, an initiative involving the college and co-led by the Centre de transfert pour la réussite éducative du Québec (CTREQ) and the Association pour la recherche au collégial (ARC). In this article, we share the insights of Jeffery and his students, shedding light on their academic journey and the personal growth that comes with engaging in research at the college level.  

Jeffery Aubin with student researchers Anthony Lemelin, Maia Steer and Jonathan Pelletier

 

Engaging Students in Early Christian Philosophy 

Jeffery Aubin has taught Humanities at Champlain-St. Lawrence since 2018 and undertook this research project in 2023. Jeffery’s research on early Christian philosophy examines the 2nd-century philosophers Marcion and Apelles, focusing on how they used rationalistic approaches to analyze Scriptures. Funded through the FRQ’s program Projet de recherche en équipe en milieu collégial (PEC), Jeffery’s project aims not only to advance academic knowledge but also to provide hands-on research experience for students, allowing students like Maia, Anthony, and Jonathan to immerse themselves in the research process.  

More specifically, each student is responsible for exploring the life and work of given Christian and Greek authors from a specific decade of the 2nd century and conducts preliminary research on them. Using a reading grid, they collect relevant information to produce a biography of the assigned authors. 

The Start of a Research Journey 

Maia, who began her internship in the fall, reflects on how this opportunity aligned with her future aspirations. “I aim to go to McGill in the fall in history. Having this job, learning how to use databases and categorize information, is very helpful before diving into my university studies,” she explains. 

Similarly, Anthony Lemelin, who is pursuing a double DEC in sciences and social sciences, saw the project as a chance to explore new academic territory. “I’m not sure where I’ll go at the university level, but I wanted to learn more about philosophy and the research project really piqued my interest,” he shares. Jonathan Pelletier, a student in sciences, noted how the research methodology itself was valuable, even though his program doesn’t align directly with philosophy. “It’s about learning research skills that can apply anywhere, even in biomedical or medical fields,” Jonathan explains. 

Developing Research Skills and Growing as Scholars 

Jeffery is very mindful of developing transversal competencies in his students, knowing that they may not pursue careers in philosophy. For all three students, the internship has indeed provided more than just exposure to historical philosophy. They have developed skills in using databases, retrieving relevant information, analyzing and synthesizing it.  

Maia, for example, has learned to analyze primary sources, as well as categorize and classify information in a database. Jonathan, on the other hand, has improved his ability to discern what information is relevant. “One of the most important skills I’ve learned is how to find credible sources and expressing my thoughts and ideas clearly,” he explains. The internship has significantly enhanced Anthony’s analytical skills. Yet, the most remarkable thing, according to him, is how the internship has reshaped his relationship with Jeffery: “It’s different from the usual student-teacher dynamic,” he reflects. “Sometimes, we even help Jeffery discover new perspectives.”  

Jeffery agrees that this role reversal can be quite unexpected for students: “They sometimes know more about the authors they’ve read than I do. They become the experts on the topic, and that can be surprising to them!”  

The Realities of Research 

One key takeaway from the students’ experience is the realization that the research process is not always straightforward. Maia points out the unpredictability of working with philosophers’ texts: “You start off with an idea of what you’re looking for, but sometimes you realize it’s not as useful as you thought. However, it often leads you down a different path and you discover something you weren’t expecting”. For Anthony, this realization came in the form of recognizing that even if an author’s work doesn’t seem immediately relevant, the thought process and methods used to ground their arguments can still be valuable when analyzing another situation or philosopher at a later stage of the research. They both recognize that research is a “back-and-forth”, iterative and complex process, which, as Jonathan adds, is “very intellectually enriching”. 

Jonathan further points out that one of the main hurdles lies in figuring out how to organize and synthesize the wealth of information they encounter. “There’s so much information, and it’s difficult to figure out what’s pertinent,” he admits.  

This challenge, however, is one that Jeffery embraces, viewing it as an essential part of academic growth. Reflecting on how this experience will prepare his students for university, he highlights that the skills they’ve developed—such as navigating research setbacks—will make them more resilient. Jeffery believes that if more students received this kind of preparation at the college level, university success rates could improve significantly. As he points out, research skills go beyond technical expertise; they also require key personal attributes like perseverance, integrity, and curiosity.  

Mutual Growth  

For Jeffery, the collaboration with his students has been a mutually enriching experience. He acknowledges that working alone on research can sometimes feel isolating, as it’s easy to fall into an echo chamber and stop questioning assumptions. The fresh perspectives and questions from his students have pushed him to rethink some of his ideas. He finds their conversations stimulating, offering new insights into the subjects they delve into. Jeffery also appreciates the efficiency they bring to the process, likening them to scouts who carry out exploratory work and provide valuable feedback that helps with plotting out the next steps in his research.  

While academic expectations often focus on publishing articles, Jeffery rather takes pride in fulfilling a key objective of his grant: introducing students to research. He finds great fulfillment in watching his students grow as researchers and even shares that fellow scholars are amazed by his students’ accomplishments! 

Looking Ahead 

As the research project progresses, the skills Maia, Anthony, and Jonathan are developing will stay with them. Maia plans to continue her studies at McGill, armed with the research skills she’s honed. Anthony, though unsure of his future university path, feels that the skills he’s learning will help in any field. “The analytical skills and the ability to synthesize information are transferable,” he notes. Jonathan, already applying his research skills to his essays, envisions these abilities helping him in future academic work, no matter the subject. 

In a world where research opportunities are often seen as distant or out of reach for college students, Jeffery’s project demonstrates that such opportunities are not only available but also immensely valuable. The experience shows that research is not just for graduate students or professionals—it’s something college students can do, too. This will be especially evident when Maia, Anthony, and Jonathan present the results of their work at the Colloque interordre de la recherche étudiante, organized by the Association pour la recherche au collégial, to be held at UQAM on May 23. We wish them every success as they share their insights with the broader research community – a well-deserved recognition of their dedication and talent!  

 

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Education 

Ph.D. in Religious Studies, Université Laval, 2016 

M.A. in Ancient Literatures, Université Laval, 2012 

B.A. in Ancient Studies, Université Laval, 2010 

 

Research project 

« Le mal dans la pensée de Marcion et Apelle : réception d’un débat de philosophie hellénistique », Projets de recherche en équipe en milieu collégial (PEC). Fonds de recherche du Québec, secteur Société et culture. 120 000 $ (2023-2025).  

 

Key publications 

Doctoral thesis 

« La notion de religio dans le De ira Dei de Lactance : crainte de Dieu et Providence comme fondement de la religion en réponse à la philosophie épicurienne source des hérésies », Doctoral thesis, Québec, Université Laval, 2016.  

Master’s thesis 

« Le De rhetorica du Pseudo-Augustin: Quaestiones ciuiles et intellectio dans l’Antiquité tardive », Master’s thesis, Québec, Université Laval, 2012.  

 

Book 

Julius Victor, L’art rhétorique : translated and annotated by Pascale Fleury followed by Pseudo-Augustin, Sur la rhétorique : translated and annotated by Jeffery Aubin, Paris, Les Belles Lettres (coll. Roue à livres 73), 2016. 

 

Articles in peer-reviewed journals 

« Le mélange du mal dans les Homélies Pseudo-Clémentines : confirmatio ou refutatio de la pensée de Bardesane d’Édesse? », B. De Vos and D. Praet (Ed.), A Search for Truth. The Pseudo-Clementine Homilies as a Philosophical and Rhetorical Novel of Late Antiquity, Tubingue, Mohr Siebeck, 2022, p. 301-316. 

« Ambivalence étymologique du mot religio chez Augustin : l’étymologie au service de la persuasion », Laval théologique et philosophique 74/2 (2018), p. 169‑180. 

« Épicure et Bardesane astrologues : l’exposé de Nicétas au livre VIII des Recognitiones pseudo‑clémentines », Apocrypha 29 (2018), p. 97‑111.  

« La religion, et l’opposition sacré et profane, dans les Diuinae institutiones de Lactance : les limites d’une dichotomie moderne », Laval théologique et philosophique 70/2 (2014), p. 227‑239. 

« Augustin et la rhétorique à la fin du IVe siècle : quelques liens entre le de Doctrina christiana et le De rhetorica », Revue d’études augustiniennes et patristiques 60/1 (2014), p. 91‑110. 

« Le De rhetorica du Pseudo-Augustin : réexamen des objections contre l’authenticité augustinienne », Revue d’études augustiniennes et patristiques 59/1 (2013), p. 117‑134. 

 

Conferences  

“Soyez comme les changeurs de monnaie » : l’examen rationnel des Écritures au IIe siècle”, Annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Patristic Studies/Association Canadienne des Études Patristiques, Toronto, June 2025.  

“L’œuvre d’Apelles : témoignage et fragments”, Annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Patristic Studies/Association Canadienne des Études Patristiques, Toronto, May 2024.  

“Mixture of Evil in the Pseudo-Clementine Homelies: confirmatio or refutatio of Bardaisan of Edessa?”, International Conference on the Pseudo-Clementine Homilies: a philosophical and rhetorical novel of Late Antiquity – a search of truth, Ghent, February 2021.  

« Les passages dualistes et les dédicaces à Constantin dans les Divinae institutiones de Lactance », Annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Patristic Studies/Association Canadienne des Études Patristiques, Université d’Ottawa, May 2015. 

« Contexte social et discours sur la religion : deux concepts liés dans l’Antiquité et aujourd’hui », 81e Congrès de l’ACFAS, Université Laval, Québec, May 2013. 

« La conception de la thèse et de l’hypothèse chez le Pseudo‑Augustin : répétition ou évolution », Colloque international de la Société internationale pour l’histoire de la rhétorique, Bologna, Italy, July 2011. 

 

Recent peer-reviewed critical reviews  

Critical review of Jean-Marc Narbonne, Protagoras premier penseur de la démocratie : une relecture philosophique et historique, Québec, Les Presses de l’Université Laval (coll. « Zêtêsis »), 2024, Laval théologique et philosophique, forthcoming. 

Critical review of Jacques Boulogne, Plutarque. Œuvres morales. Tome XV, 3e partie: traités 73-75. Trois traités contre Épicure. Collection des universités de France série grecque, 563. Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 2024. Pp. xxxii, 416. (https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2024/2024.12.08/)  

Critical review of Bernard Colette, The Stoic Doctrine of Providence: A Study of its Development and of Some of its Major Issues, London, Routledge, 2022, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2022. (https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2022/2022.09.32/).  

Critical review of Tertullien, De l’âme, Introduction, texte critique, notes par J. Leal, traduction par Paul Mattei, Paris, Les éditions du Cerf, 2019, Laval théologique et philosophique 78/1 (2022), p. 164-166.  

Critical review of Cassiodore, De l’âme, Introduction, traduction et notes A. Galonnier, Paris, Les éditions du Cerf, 2017, Laval théologique et philosophique 78/1 (2022), p. 163-164. 

Critical review of Marcus Tullius Cicero, How to think about God: An ancient guide for believers and nonbelievers. Ancient wisdom for modern readers, translation, notes and introduction by Philip Freeman, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2019, 151 p., Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2020.