Abstract This paper shows how, in his "Confessions", Augustine reflects back on his life, particularly his memories of Monica, his mother and Adeodatus, his son, and interprets their meanings as God working through daily intervention to change the way Augustine thinks and feels.
From the Paper "The Confessions is St. Augustine's reflection back on his life, and his search for God during it. He chronicles his experiences from birth until the present time, and explains the deeper meaning that he now sees in each one. Through his reflection, his is able to deeper understand the ways in which God works, and is able to unite with God in spirit. It is through this deeper understanding that in the time he was searching for God in earthly ideas and objects, God was within him all along. Augustine did not find God while searching for him, God revealed himself to Augustine through Augustine's personal history and experience."
Tags: anthropology, augustine, confessions, god, religious
Abstract This paper discusses Augustine's explanation in his "Confessions" that man is continuously "scattered" by his own impermanence, and shows that, in Books X and XI of "Confessions", the concept of "scattered humanity" is presented as a condition that is simultaneously undesirable and unavoidable to mankind. Through his discussions of memory, temptation, and time, Augustine portrays the human condition as that of utter temporality, corruptibility, and changeability. The writer explains that Augustine sees man as "divided up in time" by his changeable will and the corruptibility of his concentration. Thus, it is only through God's grace that man can hope to be freed from his temporality to rest within God.
From the Paper "Book X begins with a discussion of memory. Augustine envisions memory as something that is not always present. Things are stored in one's memory but must be thought about and brought forth again out of one's mind. In contrast, for God all things are present at all times. God does not remember things and all things are continuously existent to God. However, within man's memory there is a remembrance of the eternal. There are ideas, according to Augustine, that one can recognize as being self-evidently true. These ideas must then "have been in [man's] mind even before [he] had learned them," simply waiting to be recognized. If man recognizes a self-evident truth, then he is actually assembling the disordered and forgotten pieces of a universal and eternal memory. The universal memory is the root of man's search for God."
Tags: contemplation eternity creation, original sin, distraction joy
Abstract 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."
Abstract 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."
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."
Abstract This paper describes and compares two different portraits of Saint Augustine: the one drawn in his "Confessions" and the one in a modern biography of Augustine, written by Peter Brown. The paper presents the historical context for the life and work of Augustine. Then the paper examines Brown's evaluation of Augustine's place in the evolution of Christianity's spiritual content and its ecclesiastical structures.
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to compare the portrait of Augustine of Hippo presented in Peter Brown's modern biography with the portrait that Augustine himself presents in the 'Confessions'. The plan of the research will be to set forth the historical context..."
Abstract This paper examines St. Augustine's criticism of his study of classical learning. The author points out st. Augustine's disdain of classical studies because they fed his vanity, pride and ambition.
From the Paper "In Book I of the "Confessions", St. Augustine sharply criticizes his experience with what is today called classical learning. He confesses that he is not overfond of Homer but that he did enjoy Virgil. He is also fully conversant with the Roman playwrights citing ..."
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."
Abstract This paper first provides a biographical account of the life and death of Saint Augustine of Hippo. The paper then goes on to discuss Saint Augustine's theological philosophies and beliefs and how he came to arrive at these beliefs.
From the Paper "Saint Augustine, also known as Aurelius Augustinus, was born in 354 A.D. in the small town of Thagaste in the Roman province of Numidia (now located in northeastern Algeria). His parents seem to have been bohemian in nature and part of the middle class; his hard-drinking father Patricius apparently developed the symptoms of alcoholism quite early along with severe emotional disintegration in the form of obsessive womanizing and violent outbursts toward his son and wife. This prompted Augustine's mother Monica to turn to religion and give up the bohemian lifestyle which then transformed her frustrations and disappointments with life into ambitious designs for her obviously gifted and talented son."
Abstract In this paper, both Boethius and Augustine reflect an active memory that is acutely based on solitude for clarity of higher spiritual truths. By being untainted by outside abuses to the memory of Jesus or Socrates, silence and isolation gave these authors a pure vision of the past in their recollection of greater truths within the human condition. By actively presenting memories that are valid to understanding human nature, the present tense and the future are glorified through forgiveness and greater truths within a philosophical and religious perspective.
From the Paper "In this philosophical study the nature of memory will be examined within the 'Confessions' by Augustine and 'The Consolation of Philosophy' by Boethius. The influence of philosophy on the nature of memory affects both authors through the affect of solitude in these writings. Memory is integral to realizing the truth of human nature, and how mankind can find the greater good through interpreting the past. Boethius and Augustine both place a great deal of spiritual and philosophical value when determining the personal convictions they exhibit in their belief systems. For Augustine the nature of memory is essential in discovering his conviction in God, and how this affects his faith in mankind. In writing the 'Confessions' Augustine has become aware of the nature of his solitude in searching for forgiveness for his past sins."
Abstract Saint Augustine presented the idea that faith and understanding (in the broad and narrow senses) go hand in hand. Because of this, his teachings were that to understand life, one must have faith, and to have faith, one must pursue an understanding of life. Augustine has proved to be one of the most influential thinkers in European and western history. While still a teenager, Augustine converted, became a priest, then the leader of the Church in North Africa, and, before he became Bishop and his writing career was virtually choked off, Augustine was a prolific producer of scriptural scholarly works. The "City of God", which was written between the years 413 and 426, was Augustine's response to the criticism leveled at Christianity by the pagans after they had sacked Rome in 410. This work represents Augustine's most significant contribution to Western religious thought and, like many personalized texts, takes on the Aristotelian method of posing questions to the self in an argumentative fashion and systematically refuting and explaining away each.
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts two Baptist confessions. The paper discusses the Anabaptist confessions and the American Baptist confessions. This comparison examines the doctrinal differences, the construction and ordinance of these confessions. It then goes on to discuss how the confessions impacted the religious movement.
From the Paper "Comparing and Contrasting Two Baptist Confessions Introduction This paper shall compare and contrast two Baptist confessions. The two Baptist confessions selected for this purpose are the Anabaptist confessions and the American Baptist confessions. Confessions tended to be used to establish protocol, dispel grounds for dispute, and promote correct actions when assessing the faith. This comparison will examine the doctrinal differences, the construction and ordinance of these confessions, and how the confessions impacted the religious movement. The Anabaptist Confessions The Anabaptists dated from the Prereformist and the Reformist periods and strongly resembled the dissenting movement that preceded it; dissenters and Anabaptists alike identified the structure of faith as one that needed to be affirmed and continuously reaffirmed throughout the course of the practitioner's life."
Abstract The paper discusses that it is rather unusual to compare Machiavelli and Augustine, as they are regarded as utterly different theorists. Augustine's reputation is that of a saintly figure, a man who in many ways molded Christian doctrine. On the other hand, most people have very negative associations with Machiavelli, who is seen as advocating political opportunism. The paper shows that their understanding of the relationship between morality and religion, on the one hand and politics on the other hand, were just as different as we might expect.
Abstract St. Augustine had a huge impact on teachings today and and also is a major historical figure who contributed to our society and the history of communication in a huge way. The paper takes you beyond a bibliography and explores/summarizes his teachings. It also brings those teachings into a modern light in how they can be applied today.
From the Paper "Augustine was born in Tagaste in 354 BC and died almost seventy-six years later in Hippo Regius" (O?Donnell 1). He was the product of "a religiously mixed marriage" as his father, Patricius, was a pagan and his mother, Monica, a Christian (Hackstaff xvi). Their family background was not of high culture, but Augustine went on to gain stature through education, when he attended the excellent school Madaura (Chadwick 1). At the age of 19, Augustine journeyed to Carthage where he had a mistress who bore him a son, Adeodats. That same year, Augustine became hooked on philosophy as he read Cicero's Hortensius, the event that was his "immediate catalyst for transformation" into the famous philosopher he eventually became (Chadwick 2). Once Augustine began to form his own beliefs, he associated himself with opponents of Catholicism in North Africa: Manichaeism, the sect of Mani (Hackstaff xvi). Originally, he found that Manichaeism provided a plausible solution to a difficulty that Augustine could not seem to solve with Orthodox Christianity: the problem of evil. The Manichaeans attempted to deal with evil on its own terms which, put very briefly is: if evil exists, and if God is the cause of all existing things, then God is the cause of evil (Hackstaff xvi). Later on, having set Catholicism aside and having found no satisfaction in the religion of Mani, Augustine came to wonder whether there was any truth available for human knowledge (Hackstaff xxiii). Augustine moved to Milan in 384 BC where he came in contact with Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan. "Two years later, profoundly influenced by the eloquence, reasonableness, and conviction of the Bishop, Augustine again became a catechumen in the Catholic Church, and in 387 BC received baptism at his hands. Augustine fully embraced the Christian belief that all things are good, just because they exist, and held this belief and all other Christian teachings for the rest of his life" (Hackstaff xxiv). "
Abstract This paper discusses the frequency of heart disease and stroke in the United States. It explains that heart disease and stroke is the number one and number three killer of Americans today. The author contends that Coronary Heart Disease affects males 40% more often than females. The paper claims that in the southern and eastern portions of the United States heart disease is reportedly more prevalent than in other portions of the country.
From the Paper "Heart disease and stroke is the number one and number three killer of Americans today. Coronary Heart Disease affects males 40% more often than females, and for African American males there re 243 deaths for every 100,000 African American males in the country. In the southern and eastern portions of the United States heart disease is reportedly more prevalent than in other portions of the country. Although there has been a decrease in the disease among the majority of the population since 1980, heart disease is still a significant threat to the health of Americans in 2005 ("Heart Disease", 2003). Stroke: The highest rate of strokes exists in the African American population at the age of 85, with the lowest rate of stroke for minorities existing in the Hispanic population at the age of 39. Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina residents experience the ..."
