Augustine A Journey Of Conversion - 1043 Words

Caroline Casey Dr. Butera Development of Western Civilization 2 December 2014 Augustine: A Journey of Conversion Before submitting himself to God, Augustine lived a life controlled by various sinful tendencies such as theft and lust. Surrounded by strong believers of Catholicism, such as his mother, St. Monica, Augustine grew up questioning Christ and the faith and rather explored other religions. Two religions that Augustine devoted himself to were Manichaeism and Neoplatonism. While both religions had strengths and flaws, neither truly satisfied Augustine’s spiritual emptiness. Before devoting himself fully to the Catholic faith, Augustine is seen as an honorable saint because of the significance of his works and teachings. Augustine’s conversion from Manichaeism to Neoplatonism to Catholicism as noted through Confessions, transformed his life from being powered by sin and immortality to a life dominated by rectitude and devotion. One of the religions that Augustine primarily devoted himself to before his conversion was Manichaeism. Augustine w as attracted to the teachings and values of Manichaeism because of the way they explained evil, saying there are two gods: one good and one evil. Throughout Augustine’s youth, Catholic teachings did not further answer his questions regarding the issue, as described when Augustine states: â€Å"Above all, I heard first one, then another, then many difficult passages in the Old Testament scriptures figuratively interpreted, where I, byShow MoreRelatedAugustine s Confessions By Augustine1137 Words   |  5 PagesIn Augustine s Confessions, Augustine tells his entire life story leading up to his conversion to Christianity. Throughout his life, he experiences a vast amount of events, both that had major impacts and minor impacts. In the Confessions, Augustine called these events â€Å"episodes. The episodes supported his transformation of who he was into who he wanted to be after his conversion to Christianity. Certain episodes in Augustine’s life led to inspiring moment s, while others lead to grief and painRead MoreEssay on Confessions1242 Words   |  5 Pagesincreasing your knowledge through reading leads you through a â€Å"conversion† in which you begin to recall things and their relevance through memory. Socrates stresses the concept of increasing knowledge as a way to grow. Socrates also was the one who wanted to have a â€Å"field day† teaching Saint Augustine. Saint Augustine uses his life to display to us the way one’s quest for God should be like. He believed that one must begin their journey by first reading about God through books such as the Bible. OnceRead MoreSt. Augustines Conversion to Christianity Essay1129 Words   |  5 PagesSt. Augustines Conversion to Christianity Aurelius Augustinius, St. Augustine, was born in 354 A.D. in Tagaste, a town in North Africa. Born just over a century before the fall of Rome, Augustine would live his entire life within the Roman empire. Augustine was a great Christian thinker and wrote numerous works which survive today, and offer us a vivid glimpse into the period. His works and thoughts on Christ, the nature of God, the role of the Church, and myriad other topics, shaped muchRead MoreThe Journey Of Aeneas From Virgil s Aeneid And The Confessions1214 Words   |  5 PagesAt a first glance, the journeys of Aeneas from Virgil’s Aeneid and Saint Augustine in his autobiography The Confessions, do not seem to have much in common. In Confessions, Augustine embarks on a spiritual journey, while Aeneas endures a physical one. After closely reading both texts, readers can see the powerful, striking connection between Saint Augustine’s journey and Aeneas’. The Confessions serves as a personal inspi ration to readers by showcasing Augustine’s journey towards God, and His presenceRead MoreAnalysis Of The Confessions In Homers Aeneid1082 Words   |  5 Pages In the Confessions, Augustine formulates his argument by self-consciously integrating methods of rhetoric used in Homer’s Aeneid. With this and his own style of writing, he is successfully able to narrate his life and demonstrate his captivity from the concupiscence that dominated his life. Augustine shares this road of conversion to Christianity effectively by incorporating aspects of epic style and putting language at the center of his Confessions. Through including different devices and influencesRead MoreTFF: True Friends Forever: Childhood Friend vs. Nebridius Essay1582 Words   |  7 Pagesthinking, many philosophers, including Augustine, grapple with the concept and fulfillment of true friendship. Augustine writes of the meaning of true friendship in The Confessions, while also writing of his friendships throughout his life, using his own guidelines of what true friendship entails a revolution of his friendships can be seen alongside his transformation toward God th at The Confessions is well known to showcase. In The Confessions, Augustine defines what true friendship is with theRead MoreSaint Augustine : The Confessions Of St. Augustine704 Words   |  3 PagesSt. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, is a true defender of the Catholic faith with an inspirational conversion story which he shares in his writings titled the Confessions. Published around 400 A.D., St. Augustine Confessions had a major influence on western civilization. This beautifully written and intellectually brilliantly narrative on his conversion, St. Agustin brings to light his personal spiritual journey during his conversion to Catholicism. Completing his book in 400, St. Augustine incorporatedRead MoreSaint Augustine s Life Of Augustine1679 Words   |  7 PagesSaint Augustine The Life of Augustine Augustine was born in North Africa in AD 354 in the city of Thagaste. His father, Patricius, was a pagan and his mother, Monica, a devoted Catholic who relentlessly prayed for her son s salvation. Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote Confessions between AD 397 and AD 398. He is regarded as a great theologian, philosopher, and one of most prolific Latin author s of many works. Augustine was schooled at Tagaste and Madaura and later at Carthage where he became interestedRead MoreAugustine’s Journey to the Truth in The Confessions of St. Augustine952 Words   |  4 PagesIn the Confessions by Saint Augustine, this great philosopher experiences many problems and emotions related to sin and evil. As a boy, he often felt darkness, blindness, and confusion while attempting to find rest in God. Augustine started out in childhood with a restless heart because he had to live in two different worlds. These worlds consisted of his mother’s Christian faith, and the world of everything el se. These two worlds confused and disturbed Augustine as a child. Augustine’s father wasRead MoreUnderstanding the Self- a Comparison of Descartes and Augustine1593 Words   |  7 PagesDescartes and Augustine, in their respective examinations of the mind and God, come to the conclusion that the true understanding of all things derives from the withdrawal of the self from foreign influence and the necessity to look inward. Although each thinker’s journey or course of understanding was different, and at times rather contrasting, their ultimate realizations about knowledge are very coherent. Doubt is one of the primary focuses and a central aspect in examining the self for both Descartes