Augustine's Confessions: Book 8 Question Response

2. How is the conversion of Victorinus, told in this book,  a model for Augustine's own conversion?

Augustine's conversion reflects that of Victorinus in that there was a transitional distinction between being nominally christian and real salvation. For Victorinus, he considered himself a "christian", yet he still revelled and associated in the pagan rituals of Rome, popular among his friends. One of Victorinus's true Christian friends confronted him of his duality. Later, Victorinus sees the downfall of his ways and rejects the Roman paganism completely, isolating himself from some of his friends. Augustine in a similar way saw christianity as a philosophical answer rather than a personal divine relationship. His duality was solved when he also made his official conversion to Christianity, breaking the ties with his secular friends in Rome. The duality in both Victorinus and Augustine is not tolerated at all in Christianity, where it might be tolerated in eastern religions at that time, such as Zoroastrianism, if not outrightly encouraged. Duality is even encouraged today in religions such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism, claiming multiple ways to Truth. However, Christianity clearly claims one way only, and in the words of Governor Danforth, "there be no road in between".

Augustine's Confessions: Book VI Response Question

3. Why does Augustine "interrupt" his narrative to tell us about how Alypius became addicted to the violence of the gladiatorial contests.

Augustine's friend Alypius is a base and prime example of the process of any kind of addiction, and therefore any form of idolatry. Augustine is not sidetracking in the slightest telling the story of Alypius. In fact, rather than "interrupting" his broader narrative, he is making a great addition, further supporting what the image of a good Christian might look like. Alypius went to a gladiatorial fight unwillingly, yet he went but only after closing his eyes for the duration of the fight. This is a great demonstration of how even when we blind ourselves to temptation and are even perfectly aware of sin's evil nature, we are still vulnerable to being completely overtaken by worldly things. Before, Augustine has given his audience personal examples, but in this instance perhaps he cannot recall or cannot relate a life event to this particular idea. Calling on Alypius's story is another kind of experience, not personal, but still quite effective.

Augustine's Confessions: Book V Response Question

2. How does Augustine's disappointment with Faustus's response to his questions further his quest for wisdom?

                                                 

Augustine begins to realise the appealing elements of the Manichean worldview, not necessarily the worldview itself being appealing. For one, he realises, as he states earlier, that the Manichees pride themselves with what they perceive as 'superior wisdom'. Augustine admits to a feeling of importance as a part of the Manichees. On another level, he begins analysing the content of Faustus, and being a great orator himself, identifies the sophistesque structure of his arguments, not backing the way he speaks with any intellectual power. The "last straw" for Augustine to reject the Manichean worldview comes when he realised that Faustus cannot support his claims by the reality in which we inhabit, and furthermore questions how he can interpret any reality if he cannot even correctly interpret the one which he experiences. This in turn leads Augustine to declare himself out of the Manichees, rejecting the ideas on which he based his reality for the past decade.

Augustine's Confessions: Book IV Response Question

3. How do Augustine's interests in astrology and the writings of Aristotle demonstrate that education is not easy and that there is no straight movement toward wisdom?

Augustine points out that the pursuit of wisdom outside of Christ is a very confusing and time-wasting act. While knowledge in the terms of man can be considered to be universally understood and agreed upon, wisdom varies across the earth as the people who populate it. Augustine retrospectively sees himself looking for philosophical Truth in those only esteemed in human knowledge. But these 'knowers' are only in contact with our physical, human world. Augustine sees the need to search for knowledge among humans, but Truth and wisdom is something of only divine possession, something we must look past humans for. Humans may be a means of being guided toward philosophical Truth, but never was/is/will be the final means of obtaining it. Education, therefore while being an appropriate means of learning, is not an effective manner to pursue Truth, considering the vast array of opinions and worldviews to select from. Had Augustine not had realised this, he very well could've spent his lifetime experimenting in every ideology known and still be able to makeup an infinite amount himself.

Augustine's Confessions Book III Discussion Question

2. What is the argument Augustine is making regarding the "moralities of countries and times" and "the most righteous law of almighty God"? What proofs does he use to support his claim? How convinced are you by his argumentation?

In section 13 of the third book, Augustine's begins to compare the nature of God's law with the human-written laws of nations. For Augustine, the main difference between the two is their flexibility and universality. Augustine notes that God's law "has remained unchanged everywhere and always" and that it is "not one thing in one place and something different elsewhere". God's law for the Jews and then for the Church has always been the same, no matter when or where. While there are aspects of universality among human law (e.g. murder, stealing, etc... are wrong) it is not wholly universal and accounts for the beginning of many human arguments. He compares the world's nations as a knight trying to fit armour to the appropriate appendages. This knight spends his time finding the correct placement of each piece of armour and what its purpose is rather than using it (correctly). Humans make righteousness seems as if it can be constantly sculpted to an ideal image, but in fact, God has already designed the perfect statue, all we must do is replicate it. I agree with Augustine as far as how flimsy human morality is, but I would give humanity a little more credit for having a reflection of universality. Even though we are corrupted by sin, I believe there is a degree of righteousness we innately know of.

Augustine's Confessions: In My Own Words

How shortsighted am I, oh God, that I am unable to foresee the plans You have before me. You whose judgement is flawless, whose precepts are more precious than the purest gold, sweeter than the honey from the honeycomb. When I reveled in the ignorance of my own humanity, You sat in silence, overlooking my stupidity, but now I am called to repent. Even though You said, oh Lord, “There is a time and a way for everything” I am called to repent to the one who shows light to man. Why is it that man is ignorant to the ways of God? For what cause is man blind to the God that looks down from heaven upon mankind? Is it according to his own folly? God what do You endlessly search for? Men with whom You are pleased? Or is it truly any man who searches for You? Oh God, how foolish was I when I searched for answers rather than You, the provider! From where does my help come? My help truly and surely comes from the Lord, maker of Heaven and Earth.

It was upon the departure from my last home, the home from which I was called away. I was Jonah in my comfortable place. But then You, oh God, called me from my place! While my heart fled toward Tarshish, You called me back into obedience, which in turn leads to righteousness, to where I considered a Ninevah. But I was not called to help, nor was I being punished, despite my current thinking. I was blinded to Your Love by my own folly! What acts You made in love, because You are Love, oh God, I interpreted as punishment. But it was certainly not for punishment that You called me. For now, I see Your goodness through You commands, the Love You abundantly poured out for me. To where You sent me, I was further able to develop as a human of You. You gave me opportunity, which I so ungratefully rejected. It was by genuine Love that You forced me into discomfort. And it was through discomfort that I was brought into understanding. 

Now God, I see the righteousness of Your ways, and I give thanks! While in my blinding ignorance I refused the gifts You so lovingly gave, I now try to express the gratitude to match the extent of Your grace! Come, mankind, and see what God has done for me, his awesome deeds he extends also to you all! But still yet, oh God, we are still blind to Your ways, and revel in the darkness of our ignorance.

Confessions Response Questions: 3. What would you say are the "moral standards of the world" according to Augustine? How do you think Augustine understands the "moral standards" of God? How and where are these standard different?

"Such were the moral standards of the world at whose threshold I lay, a wretched boy; this was the arena in which I was to struggle." (19, 30)

Augustine makes a clear distinction between the morality that we are "taught" in this world and that of God's standard. Our human morality may not be entirely separate from God's, but there is a certainly a difference to be noted. The morally righteous actions we commit on earth are only reflections of the good character we wish others to assume of us by our appearance. Augustine says that prior to his conversion he "believed that living a good life consisted in winning the favour of those who commended me." (19, 30). Implicitly, Augustine sees God's morality supported by the pure desire of good, being the omni-benevolent being He is. Perhaps the audience may make the logical bridge to say that the closer humans come to God, like through conversion, the purer their motivation of morally righteous acts is. Augustine doesn't deny a sense of 'God-like' moral standard among humans, he only condemns the selfish motivations of these standards.

Augustine's Confessions: First Impressions

Augustine presents to his audience an analysis of his life that not only deals with the events of his life not only on a factual level, as many autobiographies are constructed today, but also on a philosophical and theological level. As if this was not already interesting enough, Augustine's mode of presentation is set as a prayer. In the first book alone, we are confronted by Augustine's inquisitive nature as he asks God what it means to be a Christian and how we are, as humans, to exist with and in relation to God. I am excited to not only study Augustine biographically, but also go through the questions he asks, being those I have my self only tried to comprehend. Perhaps being quite pretentious goal, I hope by reading Augustine's Confessions, to not only have a historical education, but also to further understand Christianity and its history.

SWB's History of the Medieval World:Chapter 4 Response Question

4. How do you see that Constantine "had married Christianity and state politics and in doing so had changed both forever"?

By making Christianity the most encouraged religion of Rome, he inevitably united Church and State into a union that lasts to this day. Constantine, either in attempt to or not, made a new definition of what it meant to be 'Roman', now not only being defined by by your nationality, but also by your religion. Before Constantine's Christianity, Rome followed a branch of polytheistic paganism which in a way served as multiple religions. Those who were worshippers of Neptune were not necessarily worshippers of Jupiter and so on. This made Roman paganism very isolated from itself by nature. Christianity on the other hand cannot function like that. It is structured under a singular and omnipotent God, universally and wholly worshipped by Christians. Now in Constantine's Rome, the structured government functioned in the same way as Christianity. While the government may fund the Church in this case, the Church fuels the Roman government to be unified and omnipotent.