Stages of Conversion in Augustine's Confessions

Paper Summary:

Tracing the life of Augustine, this paper aims to identify the stages of conversion as noted by Augustine himself in his Confessions. The writer examines reasons for his conversion and the historical significance of the conversion itself.

From the Paper:

"Fourth century Rome was a time of many changes. Writers and common society alike pointed out many of the problems within the framework of the Empire. Although many writers, such as Aristides, were quick to point out the virtues of Rome, there were definite undercurrents of uneasiness throughout the empire. Many citizens, fearing the growing climate of immorality and desiring deeper spirituality, turned to a new power: Christianity. There is no work which tells better the allure of Christianity than St. Augustine s Confessions a work in which a man tells of the stages of his conversion to the religion which was to be the most influential factor in the development of European history. Augustine s main purpose in writing the confessions was to praise God, to extol the wisdom of God and to search for God through prayer. In his Confessions, Augustine describes five stages in his conversion to Christianity: his love of philosophy, sparked by the readings of Cicero s Hortensius; his conversion to and disenchantment with Manichaenism; his meeting of St. Ambrose; his conversion to Platonism, and a final mystical experience which led to his total conversion in 386."

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