Augustine's The Confessions Of St. Augustine

In The Confessions of St. Augustine, a young boy whose civil servant parents of low status find enough money to send their son to be educated in classical Roman culture as a means to rise in society. The boy gives into the pressures of his friends and his own curiosity in adolescence, only to convert to a moral lifestyle as a grown man. St. Augustine's conversion from Roman pleasure-seeking to the ethical truth-seeking ways of Christianity was quite a transformation. Augustine's mother, among other women, was not a barrier, but, on the contrary, aided Augustine in his pursuit of holiness. St. Augustine lived in classical Roman society that basically contained three kinds of people as revealed to the readers by Augustine's descriptions. There were Pagans, who gave into hedonistic activities and did not worship one all-powerful God. Catechumens were people who were in the process of conversion that were being taught the principles of the Church by catechists. Lastly, Christians were
She not only encouraged him throughout his entire life, but also offered herself as a humble example to follow. Augustine said, "While I was still a boy, then I had heard of an eternal life promised us through the humility of our Lord God stooping to our pride. My mother had great hope in you, O God, and as soon as I came our of her womb I was marked with the sign of the Lord's cross and was salted with His salt." (13). Monica prayed for her son despite his sinful ways. "My mother knew nothing of my illness, yet, though she was far away, she continued to pray for me." (91). Also, Augustine's mother appealed to high church officials when she felt like her preaching was not enough. As Augustine said, "My mother asked this bishop to be so kind as to discuss things with me, to expose my mistakes, to unteach me what was bad, and to teach me what was good..."