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Stages of Conversion in Augustine's Confessions, 2002.
An examination of the life of Augustine and his process of conversion to Christianity.
1,120 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 0 sources, MLA, $ 38.95
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Abstract
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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St. Augustine's "The Confessions", 2008.
Explores the books of St. Augustine's "The Confessions" ("Confessions"), a great theological and religious masterpiece.
1,810 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 58.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that St. Augustine underscores his positions and personal views on the Incarnation and the Trinity (Father, Son and the Holy Spirit) in his book "The Confessions" ("Confessions"). In the last three books, Augustine presents a very detailed account of Genesis and the creation of man and his environment by interrelating the work of the Holy Spirit into the act of creation. The paper points out that this book, in which Augustine relates his conversion through his own spiritual journey from hedonist to teacher to bishop to priest, serves as one of the most important and influential works praising God.
From the Paper
"In Book Eleven, Augustine contemplates the possibilities that lay in wait upon his death, possibilities that surely would have come to fruition if he had not converted to Christianity, being damnation and eternal punishment at the hands of Satan and his hosts in Hell. In Part 16, Augustine poses the question, "But do I ever pass away? O my soul, commit whatsoever you have to him, for at long last, you are now becoming tired of deceit. Commit to Truth. . . and you will lose nothing. What is decayed will flourish again; your diseases will be healed'."
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Saint Augustine's "Confessions", 2007.
This paper is an analysis of Books 2 and 3 of Saint Augustine's "Confessions", based on their biographical and historical context".
1,815 words (approx. 7.3 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 58.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Augustine's autobiography "Confessions" presents his youth in a much more negative light than historical studies justify. The author points out that Augustine's idea was to represent himself in such a negative light that few of his readers could see themselves being greater sinners than Augustine; therefore, if God was willing to save Augustine despite all of his sins, he would surely be willing to save the reader if he or she was truly penitent. The paper states that Augustine addresses the problem of the apparent simplicity of Scripture in comparison to classical philosophy by arguing that Scripture is actually more complex and significant than the works of classical Greece and Rome. The paper includes many quotations.
From the Paper
"Throughout the text Augustine invariably refers to "you" - the addressee of his work - as being God. In this text he focuses on the sins of his youth with such passionate fervor in condemning how he "ran wild with lust that was manifold and rank" that many readers would initially be taken aback. Augustine's concentration upon these lusts and crimes is such as to cause a critical reader to wonder at Augustine's objective here. After all, it is illogical - in a prayer to God - for Augustine to go into such great detail about his lusts and sins since God would, of course, be fully aware of them."
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St. Augustine, The Confessions (Book II), 2001.
This paper analyzes St. Augustine, The Confessions (Book II) from a legal and moral point of view.
1,020 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 36.95
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This paper discusses St. Augustine's sin of stealing the pears and what made him do so. It details the commentary on this, what was going through St. Augustine's head, and what were the consequences of his act. It describes how St. Augustine became one of the greatest doctors of the Catholic Church and details his great achievements despite this incident.
From the Paper
"St. Augustine?s account of his stealing the pears is a starkly honest confrontation of his ? and man?s ? wretchedness without God. He freely admits that stealing is against God?s law, which is inherently etched in the heart of man, a law which not even sin can erase. Nonetheless, man steals -- and Augustine stole those pears, not out of want for something to eat or any other need for them, nor for the desire to own the fruits because of their exceptional quality, such as color or taste. Augustine writes that he stole simply because he ?lusted to thieve? (p 4 par 4). He revealed that the act came out of being habituated to sin, ?a pampered ness of iniquity.? (p 4 par 4), which inclined him to no other pattern of acts but the wrong ones. He said it exactly and clearly but in repentance, that it was out of a joy for the evil that he sinned by stealing: ?It was foul, and I loved it.? (p 5 par 1). It was doing something wrong for the preference and enjoyment of evil."
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Monica in Augustine's "Confessions", 2005.
Examines the influence which St. Augustine's mother had on his life and conversion in his work, "Confessions".
893 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 0 sources, $ 31.95
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Abstract
Augustine's life, while riddled with uncouth morals and questionable intentions, started in paganism but finally ended in his glorious awakening into Christianity. In Augustine's "Confessions", he writes about his life, his ignorant childhood, his sinful youth and early adulthood, and finally his atonement and ascension into one of the highest positions in the church. This paper uses specific examples from his work to show many of his mother, Monica's influences on his conversion.
From the Paper
"Augustine deceived her when he told her the wrong time the ship was leaving. Although this distressed her, Monica continually prayed for Augustine's safety, for his faith, and for his return. Her continued prayers for Augustine made an impression on him later in life when he realized that her prayers ultimately brought him to Christianity. When Monica later went to Rome in search of her son, she found out that he was in the service of Ambrose in Milan. At this point Augustine had given up the Manichean heresies, but he had not yet converted."
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The Conversion of St. Augustine, 2005.
Discusses the life of St. Augustine and his conversion to the Catholic faith.
970 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 1 source, APA, $ 34.95
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Abstract
This paper is a short discussion of Augustine's conversion of faith, towards the church and away from Gnosticism and skepticism, and how this conversion coincides with the changes in his will and sexual appetite.
From the Paper
"In The Confessions, St. Augustine goes through three distinct intellectual conversions in his adult life that led to the ultimate goal of conversion of his will toward God. Augustine's method is extremely philosophical in nature. The first stage of his conversion is acceptance of Manicheism; a doctrine he continually criticized throughout the book. The second stage is somewhat of a transitional period in Augustine's life where those philosophies he accepted with the Manichee faith are challenged and rebutted. The third and final stage of Augustine's intellectual conversion and subsequent conversion of the will is his appraisal of neo-platonic philosophy. Although Augustine remains is concerned about how conversion may affect his lifestyle and sexual appetite throughout the book, his intellectual progression ultimately leads to his conversion."
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St. Augustine?s ?Confessions?, 2004.
This paper analyzes St. Augustine?s attitude on friendships, as discussed in his ?Confessions?.
1,445 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 47.95
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This paper explains that, by all accounts, Augustine was both a very sociable individual and a deeply committed friend; but, despite valuing friendship very highly, Augustine seems to see friendship as a potential source and expression of evil. The author points out that Augustine obviously has a great deal of interest and respect for friendship, to the point that he considered living with all his friends in something of a religious commune, and that he was willing to encourage Alypius to go against his father?s wishes to remain friends with Augustine. The paper relates that Augustine sees that friendships can lead one, through peer pressure and mutual encouragement of the baser instincts, into sin; he believes that, when a relationship is based entirely on the physical, then that friendship cannot only lead one into evil, but also be evil in itself.
From the Paper
"Augustine?s opinions on friendship date back to his own adolescent experiences. The issue and the story from which it springs arise in the course of a meditation of the cause of evil. Plato has said, and many have since believed, that evil is something that no person pursues for its own merits -- rather, people do evil things in the pursuit of other, baser good things. For example, the evil of adultery might be committed in pursuit of the good of love and pleasure, or the evil of theft might be committed in pursuit of the good of food or the good of having physical comfort. However, Augustine suggests that people may also act in an evil fashion without hope to gain some other good."
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Escaping Gender Classifications in Augustine?s "Confessions", 2003.
An evaluation of the ways in which St. Augustine's mother challenges standard conceptions of women.
1,742 words (approx. 7.0 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 56.95
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In St. Augustine?s fourth century text, "Confessions", his mother, Monica?s devoted and exemplary relationships with the men in her life ironically deny her the status of a respected individual in society. This essay uses Monica to analyze the role of the early Christian woman in her society. Additionally, it uses the works of feminist anthropologist Sherry B. Ortner to provide a framework for the analysis. Specific examples from Augustine's "Confessions" are also used.
From the Paper
"Additionally, Ortner believes that women?s inferiority is partially due to their association with domestic tasks such as raising children, beings far removed from culture (77-8). Augustine has very little interaction with his father, especially in regards to the cultural construct of Christianity. His religious devotion is the realm of his mother, giving her significant influence over his future societal relations. This close interaction, following Ortner?s theory, degrades Monica despite its cultural nature. Thus, ironically, Monica?s relationship with Augustine devalues her in the eyes of men, an opinion that Augustine also adopts. Meanwhile, her efforts in raising him to become a Christian, a cultural classification, are overlooked."
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St. Augustine's "Confessions", 2005.
This paper discusses the unique way in which St. Augustine approached the relationship between memory, God and self in his classical philosophical and theological treatise, known as the "Confessions".
1,365 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 0 sources, $ 45.95
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This paper explains that St. Augustine considers knowledge to be separate from senses and the meaning of concepts separately from the sound of their vocalization; he concludes that knowledge does not enter people but has always existed in people - a very Platonic idea. The author points out that, in the recent Stephen King movie "Dreamcatcher", the protagonist retreats into his memory, which visualizes the ideas, which St. Augustine discusses so poetically at the beginning of the eighth chapter of his book "Confessions". The paper challenges everyone to think about the world of memory and about the world of experiencing God, who is somehow not of the world known by people: If people find God, or love, or hope, or truth in their memories, it belongs to them, but it is not really theirs to experience.
From the Paper
"At once his thoughts return to God, and this is a very important moment because in his fear and wonderment he has a moment of ecstatic doubt -- in this infinite interior, where is God? He recalls that even animals have memories, even they must have this kind of landscape, and animals (he thinks) do not have a relationship to God. If his self is distinct from his memory self, is it possible he does not really know all the things his memory-self seems to know? Can he know God? He worries that he must transcend the barriers of memory to find God, and yet he cannot even look for God if he cannot remember what he is looking for." This leads, through association, to the idea of looking for the "happy life."
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Saint Augustine's "Confessions", 2001.
An examination of St. Augustine's life and tribute to his mother St. Monica.
1,105 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 4 sources, $ 38.95
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This is a paper that describes the influence of St. Monica on St. Augustine in the light of St. Augustine?s Confession. The author examines the virtuousness of St. Monica and the way that her strong will guided others including her son St Augustine, who came to influence Christians during times of unrest. It is MLA format.
From the Paper
"Saint Augustine was proclaimed as the as the Bishop of Hippo in 395 A.D, when the Christian Roman Empire was endangered by the German invasions. The Church itself had been divided into various factions. Saint Augustine?s Confessions helped influence the Christians in such times of unrest. They were more based on autobiographical accounts and presented an insight to the following of the religion."
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"The Confessions of St. Augustine", 2007.
A review of St. Augustine's autobiography, "The Confessions of St. Augustine".
2,169 words (approx. 8.7 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 67.95
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This paper discusses the life of St. Augustine and particularly focuses on his autobiography entitled "The Confessions of St. Augustine". The paper begins by describing Augustine's life before his conversion to Christianity and his journey to God. The paper then describes St. Augustine's book as a spiritual autobiography and a series of meditations upon how the author believes he came to be led to the path of God.
From the Paper
"Augustine also attempts to rationalize his devotion to the Manicheans, a competing sect, by explaining that now he knows what real love for God feels like, he sees what seemed real to be transient: "the fantasies of the Manicheans were not in any way like thee as thou hast spoken to me now. They were simply fantastic and false. In comparison to them the actual bodies which we see with our fleshly sight, both celestial and terrestrial, are far more certain." (III.VI.10) Without God's help, however, Augustine even sees all of his later success in law as meaningless, and as unguided. Even good aspects of the world before his conversion, like God's creation of human beings, were filtered through his desire for either approval or sex, rather than an appreciation of God."
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"The Confessions of Saint Augustine", 2006.
A personal review of Augustine's "The Confessions of Saint Augustine".
1,059 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 0 sources, $ 37.95
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The paper discusses Augustine's work in which he attempts to deal with the dilemma of the existence of God and evil by disputing the claim that evil occurs at all. The author then gives a personal opinion of the problems with Augustine's argument. In conclusion. the author of the paper offers an indisputable solution to Augustine's problematic argument, that God and evil can survive simultaneously and the existence of one does not demand the negation of the other.
From the Paper
"For Augustine to support his argument, he is forced to reject the conclusion that evil exists, and in order to maintain uniformity in his beliefs, he cannot abandon the characteristics he has already attributed to God (omniscience, omnipotence and benevolence). Augustine believes that there is no evil, but rather, gradations of goodness. In Book 7, Chapter 13, he explains that "I thought of all things, and...I held that the higher things are indeed better than the lower, but that all things together are better than the higher things alone." He also claims that nothing can be completely void of goodness, lest it cease to be entirely. Thus, even in those things which seem to us to be the most base, there must dwell some good. Even sin, he states, is not evil, but a limited form of corruption that we choose for ourselves to bring us closer to redemption. Augustine's argument rests upon these doctrines, and while it is an admirable defense of his God, it is an rationalization that fails him in the end."
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Confessions by St. Augustine, 2007.
This paper discusses salvation as the path towards goodness and looks at the purpose of humanity in life in "Confessions" by St. Augustine.
1,838 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 58.95
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This paper centers its discussion and analysis on St. Augustine's "Confessions," discussing in detail its dominant theme of "salvation as God's grace to humanity". The writer assumes the position that, according to St. Augustine, salvation is the path towards goodness and determines the purpose of humanity in life. The writer discusses in detail, with evidences from the "Confessions," how this thesis is proven in accordance to St Augustine's experiences and eventual conversion to being a Christian. The writer concludes that, ultimately, "Confessions" tells its readers that Salvation is the primary mover, influence, and factor that drive humanity to the path of goodness, whether this is prescribed by Christianity, or by St Augustine himself.
Outline:
Introduction
"Men are born with Sin"
Only God can save humanity from sin through good works
Conclusion
From the Paper
"For St Augustine, humanity must not only surrender itself to God's will by acknowledging its inherent sinfulness, but it must also ask for God's mercy for this reason alone (inherent sinfulness of humanity). And because humanity's sinfulness is inherent, every individual on earth is subject to God's will and mercy, in the same way that every individual becomes a sinful individual because of the original sin, and, as posited by St Augustine earlier, by humanity's propensity to commit sins."
"For this section, the thought, "Men are born with Sins" is proven as an inherent and inevitable quality of humanity: it is inherent because humans are born with sin (i.e., the original sin), and it is inevitable because St Augustine believed that humans cannot not commit sins. Thus, in order to absolve the self from this inherent and inevitable nature of humanity's sinfulness, St Augustine recommended seeking God's mercy and following His will."
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?The Confessions of St. Augustine?, 2002.
A review of ?The Confessions of St. Augustine?, a portrait of the inner world of Augustine of Hippo.
939 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 33.95
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This paper examines the work ?The Confessions of St. Augustine? by Augustine of Hippo, who was the bishop of Hippo in Roman Africa for 35 years, during the time of the decline of Roman civilization on that continent. It discusses how the work is an autobiographical account of his life and how Augustine shows the depth of his religious belief and writes extensively about his own inner turmoil about such events in his life as the time when he was a child and stole pears from a neighbors tree, a crime that haunted him for the rest of his life.
From the Paper
"Robert J. O'Connell emphasizes the problem created for readers by the mixture of autobiography and philosophical discussion, especially in trying to reconcile the autobiographical portion of the book, covering Books I-IX, and the final four books. Augustine examines the present state of his soul in Book X. That examination begins, however, with a lengthy discussion of "memory." Some authors see Book X as a later interpolation, but this does not explain how Augustine interprets those parts of the Scripture that he includes. The meaning of the last three books has been argued for centuries, and the implication is that when the meaning is understood, their relationship to the preceding books will be made clear: "The problem of the work's unity may well be one with the problem of its meaning" (O'Connell 6)."
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"The Confessions" of Saint Augustine, 2002.
An overview the theme of sin and human nature in "The Confessions" of Saint Augustine.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 3 sources, $ 35.95
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This paper will discuss the 'confessions' of Saint Augustine, and reveal how original sin plays a large part in his views of human nature. By organizing this study along the text of Augustine, we can relate how this philosophy occurs earlier in Christianity.
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