Is there really a reason why people are ultimately good and ultimately evil? If there ever was, where would it start from? By reading Augustine’s works, you can tell he questioned himself, If God was good then why is there so much evil the world right now? If he was good then, he should have trouble creating anything that has evil agendas. The way Augustine’s looked at it is if anything that turns evil must have started out good.…
It is impossible to write a book about the self without bias; each statement is crafted to appear a certain way. Consequently, readers must evaluate if statements made about the self are true or simply crafted through rhetorical devices. In one of the first books written of the self, Saint Augustine, later the Bishop of Hippo, writes of his conversion to Catholicism using a blend of rhetoric and scripture to persuade readers to evaluate their own selves. In his book, Confessions, Saint Augustine utilizes humility, contrast between the past and the present, and parallels from earlier passages and the Bible in order to create a persuasive stylized performance of his conversion to Catholicism. Humility plays a crucial role in Confessions and…
It is important to note that Augustine wrote “Confessions” after he had been ordained a bishop. He was not simply writing it to tell his story, but as a deliberate act of evangelization, hoping to lead his people into deeper faith through it. The book itself has a unique genre, although normally classified as an autobiography, it is actaully written as an extended prayer. This is apparent from the beginning lines which question and proclaim the human condition as in relation to God.…
Given our egocentric and appetitive nature, human beings inherently seek lifestyles that satisfy bodily desires. According to Saint Augustine’s Confessions, the importance of the encounter with the drunken beggar in Milan is to highlight that seeking bodily desires, a derivative of sin, inevitably constitutes desolation that can only be resolved through seeking God’s grace. Boiling in a state of anxiety and unhappiness as a result of his materialistic desires, Augustine finds himself faced with yet another bodily desire to please others--delivering a eulogy to the emperor. Contemplating his misery as he passes the streets of Milan with his friends, his attention is captured by the glimpse of a drunken beggar. Laughing and joking, the beggar…
In Augustine’s Confessions, Augustine presents his mother as the perfect model of a devout Christian. From the moment Augustine is born, she assumes a strong involvement in her son’s life in order to ensure his conversion to Christianity. However, this heavy involvement works against her at times. Although Augustine may portray Monica as a pious model of faith on the surface, through the passion she expresses for her son’s salvation, he also notes certain flaws stemming from that passionate care, namely her underlying obsession to see him achieve worldly success, ultimately revealing Monica to occasionally serve as an obstacle inhibiting Augustine’s spiritual enlightenment.…
Saint Augustine’s Confessions is more than a narrative of conversion. It is a work written in an autobiographical narrative, conveying concepts with deep meaning, mainly about mistakes and the acknowledgment of faults. In Book IV, Augustine describes his relationship with a friend and the friend’s sudden death. Augustine takes us through his mourning process, one in which many people can relate, the feeling of sorrow and despair. These darker times relate to the CIT question speaking of what it means to be human.…
The Incomplete Characterization of Motives In Confessions, Augustine stated that the motive behind all actions was lust of different types. He divided lust into three categories: lust for domination, lust of the eyes, and lust for sensuality. Augustine defined lust for domination as the desire to control people or properties. Lust of the eyes was the desire to satiate the senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.…
“Native American music has remained vital and diverse in the modern era, even though certain types of music, mainly from the plains, now represent what Native American music ‘should’ sound like to outsiders not terribly interested in complicating their ideas about that music” (Jennings). This type of music is considered very spiritual and religious, which is why is has gradually been decreasing in popularity over the years. The population of these Old World religions has extremely decreased which, in turn, decreased the popularity of the music style. But, it was indeed very accepted and well-known during the era in which it was…
As I read St. Augustine’s Confessions, I noticed a strong recurring theme. In everything that Augustine did or tried, he was accompanied by misery. Even in things that gave him joy, he found a unexplainable bitterness. Augustine’s question for his misery was in fact answered within the very first paragraph of the work. Looking back on his life, Augustine remarks, “You [God] stir man to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you” (Augustine 3).…
In Confessions by Saint Augustine he vouches that the only two essential things in this world are life and friendship. According to Augustine’s claim, God created man on this earth to do two things: breathe and live. While these are imperative functions of human life, Augustine goes even further, declaring that to be a whole person, one must cultivate a life that is improved by friendship. Augustine interpreted others’ theories about the nature of friendship. After reading their prospects and notions of friendship, he critically analyzed what they had to suggest by reflecting in an intellectual manner.…
What are we searching for in life? Even as broad as the question is, many people have attempted to answer it. The book, Confessions by Saint Augustine is an autobiography that discusses the trials and tribulations of Saint Augustine in his pursuit of the answer to the initial question. Augustine achieves his personal answer to the question through the reflection of his worldly desires, his education and the physical world. Even as educated and sanctified as he was, Augustine delivers his answer to be relatable to most people then and today.…
In Saint Augustine’s Confessions, Augustine ponders his worldly experiences and how they prompted him to lead a more spiritual life. Throughout his divine expedition towards God, Augustine is faced with four deaths at varying ages and religious mentalities. The extent of Augustine’s religiousness at the time of each death greatly shaped the way he perceived every loss he faced. From when he reads about Dido’s death in Virgil’s Aeneid to witnessing the death of his mother, Monica, Augustine’s reaction to death matures. Additionally, as Augustine reflects on his response the deaths, there is a clear contrast between his perception of each loss as the protagonist versus as the author that is influenced by the relationship he develops with God…
It is widely known that music can affect us in profound ways; it can make us burst into tears, make us dance joyously to its beat, cheer us up when we feel downhearted, or intensify our happiness in moments of celebration. Music has the ability to take us back in time to distant personal memories, both moments that we would like forget and remember forever. Most of us get attached to music since the earlier years in life and we believe to understand how marvelous it can be, but only a few of us are familiar with the extraordinary therapeutic powers of music. It is evident in biblical scriptures that the use of music as a healing medium dates back to ancient civilizations.…
Music is said to be the “universal language of mankind;” it reaches across cultural and language barriers in a way that cannot be done with ordinary languages such as English or Spanish. Music impacts people on personal and social levels. On a personal level music can improve one 's emotions and health. This can facilitate social impacts such as bringing unity and understanding to other people’s emotions. The vitally important impacts that music has on people can occur through listening to music, singing or even playing an instrument.…
Augustine’s Deep Thoughts of Sin and Suffering Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, is unarguably one of the most influential church fathers whose views have helped shape modern protestant theology. He largely contributed to shaping a bible-focused theology that transformed Europe and the majority of the world, and many modern theologians dream of reaching the international stature that Augustine did. But to reach that stage that Augustine got to, did not come easy. He went through a lot of doubts and suffrage, but all of it would ultimately help create the man who still today, is teaching and leading people to Christ.…