Augustine on Death

Augustine on Death

Death is a very natural occurrence in life, and everyone experiences death differently, but yet in the same way. When Augustine was a young boy his father died, and he makes a small account of this in the Confessions. Later on in life, he loses a dear friend, and his loving mother. With time, he mentally matures and death affects Augustine differently each time. The death of his father was merely mentioned in the Confessions, while the death of Monica, his mother, was an elaborate detailed account of the time of her death. The death of his close friend, when Augustine was a child made him realize that life is temporal. Growing up, Augustine was not very close to his father. He confided in his mother and leaned towards her Christian beliefs. Patricius, Augustine’s father, was a pagan, but later became a catechumen. Patricius did not pressure Augustine about following his mother’s beliefs, and gave him the freedom to do so. When Augustine was a child, he was subjected to the verbal abuse his father laid on Monica. His father was also not faithful, and this left a lasting scaring impression on Augustine. Patricius never hit Monica, and she realized that other wives were being beaten, so she accepted the verbal abuse. Patricius was proud of his son’s accomplishments, and was admired by all for the sacrifices Patricius made for Augustine. Patricius was considered “generous,” but then was also very “hot-tempered.” In the Confessions, Augustine only makes note of his father’s death, and one reason may be that Augustine was not happy with the way Patricius treated his loving and ever-forgiving mother. Shortly after Patricius’ death, Augustine deals with death once more, wit...

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...even involved Augustine moving away from his hometown. The death of Monica did involve great suffering, yet he did not spend all his time weeping. Although in the end, he did weep, this was what he needed to end his suffering. The death of Patricius was not a detailed account in the Confessions, yet it is imaginable that he did feel some sorrowful feelings towards his father’s death. Death played a large role in Augustine’s Confessions, yet with Monica’s death. I believe that everyone goes through death a certain way. Augustine never really faces death at an early age. I think he comes to a sort of peace about his mother’s death. This was a way to talk about it in Confessions.

Bibliography:

Commentary:James Calhoun. www.=Phlospages,exo.exe. Books 4,6,9,10Overview of Confessions. Commentary by Janice Tanoake. Teaching of phil to students.WC 1,578