Augustine Confessions
Sarah Kaldas
Humanities I
Dr. Borucki
May 5 2014
Augustine’s Confessions Augustine’s Confessions is a diverse blend of autobiographical accounts as well as philosophical, theological and critical analysis of the Christian Bible. Augustine treats his autobiography as an opportunity to recount his life and mentions how each event in his life has a religious and philosophical explanation. Augustine had many major events happen in his life but only 3 events would deem of extreme importance to his journey to faith. Theses major events were Book II how he describes that he considered his time of adolescence to be the most lurid and sinful period of his life, Book III how this becomes the lowest point in his relationship with God because his range of sins expanded from teenage pranks to including attending public spectacles, reading tragedies and transient diversions such as the Manichees faith, and finally in Book VII where he comes across Neoplatonic philosophy which helps him reconcile his long pursuit of philosophy with his new and serious faith in the Catholic Church. In Book I of Augustine’s Confessions, he talks about his adolescence and says “ I intend to remind myself of my past foulnesses and carnal corruptions, not because I love them but so I may love you, my God. It is from love that I make the act of recollection. The recalling of my wicked ways is bitter in memory, but I do it so that you may be sweet to me, a sweetness touched by no deception, a sweetness serene and content.” He brings to light that in his adolescence he had a “burning” desire to find “satisfaction in hellish pleasures.” He “ran wild” he writes,” in the jungle of erotic adventures…and became putrid in [God’s] sight.” Although he acted out his sinful desires, he didn’t beat himself up. He wrote “ the single desire that dominated my search for delight was simply to love and be loved.” Augustine considers his theft of apples to be most rotten. It disturbed him that he did it out of no
Humanities I
Dr. Borucki
May 5 2014
Augustine’s Confessions Augustine’s Confessions is a diverse blend of autobiographical accounts as well as philosophical, theological and critical analysis of the Christian Bible. Augustine treats his autobiography as an opportunity to recount his life and mentions how each event in his life has a religious and philosophical explanation. Augustine had many major events happen in his life but only 3 events would deem of extreme importance to his journey to faith. Theses major events were Book II how he describes that he considered his time of adolescence to be the most lurid and sinful period of his life, Book III how this becomes the lowest point in his relationship with God because his range of sins expanded from teenage pranks to including attending public spectacles, reading tragedies and transient diversions such as the Manichees faith, and finally in Book VII where he comes across Neoplatonic philosophy which helps him reconcile his long pursuit of philosophy with his new and serious faith in the Catholic Church. In Book I of Augustine’s Confessions, he talks about his adolescence and says “ I intend to remind myself of my past foulnesses and carnal corruptions, not because I love them but so I may love you, my God. It is from love that I make the act of recollection. The recalling of my wicked ways is bitter in memory, but I do it so that you may be sweet to me, a sweetness touched by no deception, a sweetness serene and content.” He brings to light that in his adolescence he had a “burning” desire to find “satisfaction in hellish pleasures.” He “ran wild” he writes,” in the jungle of erotic adventures…and became putrid in [God’s] sight.” Although he acted out his sinful desires, he didn’t beat himself up. He wrote “ the single desire that dominated my search for delight was simply to love and be loved.” Augustine considers his theft of apples to be most rotten. It disturbed him that he did it out of no