Augustine's "Confessions": The Path to Conversion Analytical Essay by nfcolbert
Augustine's "Confessions": The Path to Conversion
An analysis of Augustine's "Confessions", describing the obstacles and assistance Augustine experienced on his path from sinner to saint.
# 152399
| 1,000 words
| 1 source
| MLA
| 2009
| 
Published
on Feb 06, 2013
in
Philosophy
(Religion)
, Religion and Theology
(Christianity)
, Literature
(General)
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Description:
The paper discusses how Saint Augustine's path from sinner to saint was a long one, a road riddled with obstacles, but on that path, Augustine was the recipient of God's grace and was able to overcome the struggles thrown his way. The paper describes how Augustine's own intellectual pursuits often placed him at odds with his spiritual growth and relates how in addition to the false teachings of literature, Augustine was subjected to negative influence from other intellectuals. The paper shows how while some texts steered Augustine down the wrong road, others helped him find his way back. The paper emphasizes that it is through his struggles with sin that Augustine gained a great appreciation for the truth.
From the Paper:
"Augustine's own intellectual pursuits often placed him at odds with his spiritual growth. "Let me tell you, my God," he asserts, "how I squandered the brains you gave me on foolish delusions" (Confessions 37). The first of these is his experience with ancient literatures. Augustine regrets that he "was obliged to memorize the wanderings of hero named Aeneas, while in the meantime" failing to remember his own shortcomings, and that he "learned to lament the death of Dido" while he himself was spiritually dying as a result of being separated from God (Confessions 33). Augustine's own lustful ways were supported by his readings of the works of Homer and his peers. Jupiter, the king of the Roman gods, "punishes the wicked with his thunderbolts and yet commits adultery himself" (Confessions 35). Literature distracted Augustine from the truth of God, and offered him justification for his own wicked behaviors."In addition to the false teachings of literature, Augustine was subjected to negative influence from other intellectuals, as well. Augustine was a member of the Manichean sect for nine years (Confessions 71). He describes how he "fell in with a set of sensualists, men with glib tongues who ranted and raved and had the snares of the devil in their mouths" (Confessions 60)."
Sample of Sources Used:
- Sainte Augustine. Confessions. Trans. R.S. Pine-Coffin. New York: Penguin Books, 1961. Print.
Cite this Analytical Essay:
APA Format
Augustine's "Confessions": The Path to Conversion (2013, February 06)
Retrieved June 09, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/augustine-confessions-the-path-to-conversion-152399/
MLA Format
"Augustine's "Confessions": The Path to Conversion" 06 February 2013.
Web. 09 June. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/augustine-confessions-the-path-to-conversion-152399/>