One of the most documented and honest journeys to accepting Christ is presented in St. Augustine’s book, Confessions. He embarks on a mission to find truth and explains the many barriers he had to overcome to understand the greatness of God. Throughout the book, St. Augustine lays out different significant milestones that enabled him to overcome certain barriers of thought that he originally believed. These significant milestones included him meeting Ambrose the Bishop of Milan, the learning of Neoplatonism, meeting Simplicianus and Ponticianus which lead him soon after to convert, and finally reaching the end of his journey to Catholicism when he becomes baptized. Each of these milestones presented a realization that played a significant …show more content…
role in him overcoming different sources of error in his heart. The first major milestone in Augustine’s journey to Christ is when he journeys from Carthage to Rome, and then onto Milan where he meets Ambrose. At this time in St. Augustine’s life he had been following the false doctrines of Manichaeism. He was beginning to lose any sense of confidence that he had in the religion and had many unanswered questions. Many other people who had subscribed to Manichaeism were unable to answer St. Augustine’s questions and promised that a man named Faustus was coming to town who could answer all his questions. When St. Augustine met Faustus he found that he was a sweet talker and was only able to give him the same answers the others had given in a more elegant voice. After St Augustine’s conversation with Faustus he stated, “I began to lose all hope that he would be able to analyze and resolve the difficulties which disturbed me (pg. 79).” Proceeding on from this encounter St. Augustine finds himself still pursuing the truth. He proceeds to move to a new teaching job in Milan and that is where he meets Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan. St. Augustine began to like Ambrose and the seeds of faith in God were planted in him. Not long after their meeting he is quoted as saying, “Ambrose taught the sound doctrine of salvation… Nevertheless, gradually, though I did not realize it, I was drawing closer (pg. 88).” At the close of this book he begins to consider himself a “catechumen”, a beginner who is being taught the guidelines of the Christian faith. The next major milestone that St. Augustine completes in his journey to faith in God is when he learns about Neoplatonism in book seven. This is a major turning point for St. Augustine that enables him to understand how God can be everywhere and at the same time not possess any matter. St. Augustine is now able to see God with his mind instead of trying to see him with his eyes. This culminates to help St. Augustine begin to understand many things about God and the nature of evil which had bothered him for a longtime. Up until this point, he could not figure out how God, being possessed only of good, could exist in a world where there is evil. St. Augustine finally comes to a realization and states, “For you evil does not exist at all… But in the parts of the universe, there are certain elements which are thought evil because of a conflict of interest (pg. 125).” Although St. Augustine criticizes Neoplatonism for not giving credit to God, he does learn many important principles that will soon lead him to Christ. One of the most important milestones in this book is when he finally is able to overcome almost all of the barriers preventing him from becoming a Christian through the conversations he has with Simplicianus and Ponticianus.
St. Augustine said in the beginning of this chapter, “My desire was not to be more certain of you but to be more stable in you (pg. 133).” One remaining thing that was preventing him from converting is becoming a member of the Church. St. Augustine now possessed a good understanding of God and the perception of evil and considered himself on the path of Christianity, but was still unable to get past becoming a full member of the church. When talking to Simplicianus one thing resonated within St. Augustine that he had said, “I shall not believe that or count you among the Christians unless I see you in the Church of Christ (pg. 136).” St. Augustine was ready to believe in Christ, but was looking for a reason, something that would push him over the edge to devoutly follow Christ and leave his last doubts in the past. He still struggled with the desires of his flesh and the desires of the spirit and has continued to try and find rest in this struggle. Not long after his conversation with Simplicianus he meets with another friend Ponticianus. He tells St. Augustine a story about two men, friends of his, who went on a trip to a monastery and during their trip their eyes were opened and both came to Christ and began to serve him from that moment on. …show more content…
Both men gave up their worldly jobs and their fiancées (who later converted to nuns) in order that they could serve God. This story struck deep in the heart of St. Augustine and at this point he could barely resist the urges to follow God. “I had known it, but deceived myself, refused to admit it, and pushed it out of my mind (pg. 145).” St. Augustine feels God working in him, but he still has hesitations about his sins of lust and giving up sex. He retreats to the gardens of his house and begins to struggle with all of his thoughts. Shortly thereafter he hears a child in his mind telling him to “pick up and read, pick up and read (pg. 152).” St. Augustine proceeded to open directly to an epistle of Paul, Romans 13:13-14, which said “…put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in its lust.” St. Augustine was so moved through this experience that he immediately professed his faith in God and converted. “All of the shadows of doubt were dispelled (pg. 153).” The final milestone in St.
Augustine’s conversion is his partaking in the act of getting baptized. St. Augustine had taken a bigger role in the Church after his retirement from teaching and had decided it was time to get baptized. He returned to Milan with Alypius and Adeodatus, his son born out of sin, and all of them were baptized by his good friend Ambrose. St. Augustine’s conversion to Catholicism was complete and he began to live out a life dedicated to
God. In conclusion, it is important to note the different sources of error in St. Augustine’s heart that he overcame throughout his journey of converting to Catholicism. St. Augustine overcame the desires and indiscretions of his youth, the teachings of false doctrines, and the lust of his flesh throughout the different milestones on his road to salvation.
St. Augustine’s Confessions is written through the Christian perspective of religion. Christianity is founded on the idea that there is one God who oversees all actions. Though all actions are observed by a higher power, God instills in us a free will. As Christians we are free to make our own decisions whether right or wrong. In his Biography St Augustine expresses that he feels like a sinner. He struggles with the fact that he is a thrill seeker. He loves to watch blood sports. He watches gladiators fight to the death and commit murder. Not only does he watch, but he enjoys observing these acts. He is also expressing his sins in his biography when he writes about stealing, which is another sin. He steals pears for fun. St Augustine doesn’t even eat the pears he steals, but throws them to the pigs to eat. Through the story St Augustine struggles interna...
Human nature causes a desire to run away from places and people full of love, into a life that is empty in all ways, and go running back to the open arms of loved ones once self-preservation runs out. This idea of running away and returning was used in the Bible to exemplify man running away from God with selfish ambition only to return to a God with His arms wide open, welcoming the son back home and treating him as though he had never left. In his Confessions Augustine shares his personal Prodigal Son moment, the journey that led him away from, then back to, his Creator. Such is a journey that most individuals find themselves on at one point or another, leaving and then returning to his or her Creator.
This paper will outline specific points in Saint Augustine’s Confessions that highlight religious views following the fall of Rome. Though Augustines views on religion may not reflect that of most people in his time period, it still gives valuable insight into how many, namely Neoplatonists,, viewed God and his teachings.
”1 He was already a steady believer in God and was ready to be baptized however he was kept from it and was influenced by the other people as they said “Let him be, let him do as he likes, he is not baptized yet.” Without the proper reinforcement and teaching he progressively strayed away from his beliefs and eventually lost himself in sin. This led to one of the most important incidents in Augustine’s childhood. Augustine spends more time lamenting on the time he had stolen the pears than he does with many of the other sins.... ...
Confessions by Augustine is a theological autobiography about confessions. What did it mean to confess? To confess in Augustine’s time was meant both to give an account of fault to God and to praise God. Augustine talks about his sinfulness and his faithfulness to his God. Confessions is a story of Augustine’s life, starting from his birth to his mothers death. “You have made us for yourselves, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”(Confessions, 1.1.1)
When it comes to renunciation, "no pain, no gain" is what I've slowly, reluctantly, inexorably come to believe. And when Pete opted for scholarly monkhood, I think he was just trying to outsmart his pain. . . . He'd calculated that by considering the physical world "illusory" and burying his nose in metaphysical texts he could go on doing something comfortable--while his ignorance and sufferings and hometown and troublesome family just fell away like so much excess poundage. Obviously l question his calculations: to slough off half a self in hopes of finding a whole one is not my idea of good math.
Which resulted Augustine in exploring the philosophical road that led to his conversion from Macheanism to Neo-Platonism to Christianity. But later felt sorrowful for his mother that had died and confesses to God that everyone is a sinner right when they were born and through God that this sin can only be absorbed. He later moves back to Thagaste and then became Bishop of Hippo. As a “doctor” of the Chruch, he defended Christianity against false (heretic) interpretation. After his conversion, he refused to teach rhetoric. Yet, in the end, no matter what sin he had done Augustine found his savior. Which led him to write about how to convey God’s truth to diverse audiences and demonstrates that both the Bible and one’s own life are texts to be read and assessed against the true Cristian Doctrine. The last four books were like an appendix and offers an interpretation of the opening of the Book of Genesis. When Augustine’s converted to Christianity his appropriation of Platonic ideas uses his past sins and later confesses to God that will eventually enhance his soul and body. The consequences of this appropriation are that sins are considered to be
...unconditional love for God. Once Augustine converts, he attains the purest form of love and it is solely reserved for God.
Saint Augustine’s On Faith and the Creed breaks down the Apostles Creed and expresses the essence of the Christian faith. The 11 chapters within On Faith and The Creed express many truths of the faith. Chapter one explains the origin of the creed and object of its composition. The Apostles Creed is a sufficient summary of the faith for beginners and those who who are more diligent in their faith. Many heretics have tried to corrupt the interpretation of the Apostles Creed. Yet, since it is written according to the scripture, the Apostles Creed is based on complete truth. Chapter two expresses the fact that eternity is exclusive. Saint Augustine talks about how the Apostles Creed will not truly be understood or impact a person if they are not
In order to better realize St. Augustine’s views on the morality of lying, it is essential to first define what was actually understood about
A common thread of faith and reason runs through the two different theological visions of St. Augustine in his Confessions. This can be seen by comparing the ascent, the vision, the descent, and language in the two visions. Although other parts of the text will be referred to, the central part of these visions are as follows:Vision 1: "...
Why does St. Augustine seek God? Through his Confessions we come to understand that he struggled a great deal with confusion about his faith, before finally and wholeheartedly accepting God into his life. But we never get a complete or explicit sense of what led Augustine to search for God in the first place. Did he feel a void in his life? Was he experiencing particular problems in other relationships that he thought a relationship with God would solve for him? Or perhaps he sought a sense of security from religion? A closer analysis of the text of St. Augustine’s Confessions will provide some insight into these fundamental questions.
His father was a pagan and his mother, Monica was a devoted Christian. The salvation of Augustine was a concern for Monica because Augustine had never been baptized a Christian. When Augustine was a child he fell deathly ill, to save his soul Monica prepared for him to be baptized. Augustine recovered which resulted in the delay of the baptism. When Augustine began to grow through puberty and manhood Monica displayed concerns towards Augustine for she feared he would commit the sin of fornication.
Interpreting Augustine’s Interpretation Augustine of Hippo begins writing On Christian Teaching by stating: “The student who fears God earnestly seeks his will in the holy scriptures.” This statement is bold, and makes clear Augustine’s goal for those who read this treatise. There is, however, a disconnect between the goal of this statement and the results of Augustine’s given interpretive method. The method, I believe, seduces the reader with its multitude of messages. It is, at first glance, an exhaustive list of instructions to interpreting scripture.
..., the closer he was really moving toward God. He began to realize that God is all good, so nothing he creates will be of evil. “God does not create evil but it is of the world” (Augustine 230-31). Once he took responsibility for his personal life and spiritual walk, Augustine began to uncover the truths to his life. He reveals one must take responsibility for their actions and confess to develop a stronger connection with God. He then comprehends; God allows bad things to happen in your life to show you that you need him. Evil is not a lesser good, but it is a reflection of ones moral well-being. In order for one’s well being to be saved one must confess their sins to Christ.