Engagement With Augustine's Confessions
Abstract
The paper discusses Saint Augustine's views on faith formation, human condition, sin and love in his book “Confessions”, deals with his way of presenting the material (personal, emotional, open, vulnerable). Combining
analyses of the text with personal experience, it examines these topics and draws conclusions about the subjects raised. Faith formation is found to be a process rather than a single occurrence, fraught with hardship and fallacies, with occasional epiphanies, enlightening one's spiritual way. People are not universally good or bad but rather do something good or bad at a given point in time, and the final score is determined accordingly to
the amount of good or bad deeds, committed by the person. Sin is identified as a behaviour which needs justification, concealment or something that gives rise to more unfair treatment of others. There is only one true love, the love of God, but people misplace it and love God's creations rather than Himself, yet such misplacement may prompt them to seek God and love Him. Discoursing on these subjects, Augustine gets very emotional, albeit open and vulnerable, and such approach may repel some of the readers, while motivating them to rethink their mindset at the same time. The conclusions reached are subjective because they are based on the personal experience, beliefs and understanding.
ENGAGEMENT WITH AUGUSTINE'S CONFESSIONS.
Saint Augustine wrote his “Confessions” more than sixteen hundred years ago when he was Bishop of Hippo. In his work, he concerns himself with many subjects, formation of faith, human condition, love being some of them. He presented his views in a very open, honest and vulnerable manner. Though written so many years ago, this book and the issues are as important nowadays as when they were first raised. People still study his work and
interpret it according to their understanding and personal experiences. Augustine himself was not a baptized Christian and believer from his early childhood. His mother Monica was Catholic, his father was Pagan who
converted to Christianity on his deathbed. He describes, how, from the early years, he was attracted to his mother's faith but not strongly enough to actually convert. Augustine's journey to God was not straightforward.
In his youth, he sinned (fornicated and stole) and even enjoyed his sins. He thought that even in his enjoyment of sins he tried, unknowingly, to emulate God: “For so doth pride imitate exaltedness; whereas Thou alone art
God exalted …