Augustine Confessions Essay

In “Confessions” Augustine is influenced heavily by his encounter with different philosophies and readings. This influence is essential for Augustine’s growth into his Christian faith. Augustine like all of us is human; therefore, he will try to understand his own humanity and his personal connection to God. His experience with the Manicheans, Cicero’s book: Hortensisus, Neo-Platonism, and Astrology have allowed him to critically analyze the different philosophies he encounters throughout his life. With this experience of different ideologies it only brings him closer to God. In Augustine’s early life he considered himself extremely sinful and full of himself: “In my youth I wandered away, too far from your sustaining hand, and created of myself a barren

Augustine’s mother Monica is distressed at finding out Augustine’s close relations with Manicheanism and wants to persuade a bishop to speak to Augustine. The bishop very calmly tells her that Augustine in due time will recognize the error of his ways and by allowing him to read the Manichean book; he can see firsthand how weird they really were. Even the bishop himself used to be a Manichean member:" He went on to tell her at the same time how he himself, as a boy, had been given over to the Manicheans by his misguided mother” (Confessions Book 3 Ch.12). The bishop is wise enough to know that Augustine will grow out of his interest in Manicheanism and with Augustine encountering Manicheanism that in itself is a prophetic way of him getting closer with God. After being a member of