Teaching The Confessions of St. Augustine Essay - 3945 Words

Teaching The Confessions of St. Augustine ABSTRACT: Augustines passionate and immensely personal account of his conversion has enthralled readers for centuries. Unfortunately, the passion and personal nature of the writing can stand as a barrier to comprehension, especially when the text is taught at the undergraduate level. Add to this the fact that the work has the character of one long and substained prayer to God, contains many passages that are tediously introspective, and refers to a time and place that are foreign to todays undergraduates, the task of helping students to understand and appreciate the work is daunting, to say the least. Augustines very passionate and immensely personal account of his conversion has†¦show more content†¦How does grace manifest itself in our lives? It is when Augustine begins, in memory, to sort through the many significant people and events that filled his life that he provides us with an answer. Here a significant theme emerges, and one upon which I will focus primarily. The t heme is Augustines conviction that salvation is offered us through the people and events of our lives. In passage after passage, Augustine makes it very clear that Gods grace was made available to him through people who influenced him, and through events that altered his life. One early announcement of this theme is found in book two, chapter three, in which Augustine ponders why God remains silent while humans-in this case, Monica-gives him an ear full. He writes, Do I dare say to you that you, my God, remained silent when I departed still farther from you? Did you in truth remain silent to me at that time? Whose words but yours were those that you sang in my ears by means of my mother, your faithful servant? (Augustine 69) This is but one of numerous examples that could be given. Although ultimately Augustine credits Gods saving grace for his conversion, he also acknowledges that the instrumental sources of his conversion were multiple. Among them can be listed people, events, inner experiences, and even places. Among events that receive special mention are: the reading of Hortensius, the death of his best friend in Thagaste, his encounter with a drunk onShow MoreRelatedComparison Between the Analects and Confessions Essay955 Words   |  4 PagesComparison between the Analects and Confessions Both St. Augustine’s Confessions and Confucius’s Analects are important teachings that have great influence on people around the world in the ancient time and nowadays. Both doctrines discuss ethical values of the society back in the time as we can find some similarities between the two. 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