Augustine, Confessions

Augustine's inner dilemma in Book VIII

- Carnal vs spiritual: Material vs. spiritual

Book V Main Topics

- Carthage-> Rome-> Milan until conversion - Decrease in Maniche belief - Unbaptized Christian

Alypius

- Closest friend and philosophical companion at Milan. Joins Augustine in his conversion and baptism

Book IV Main Topics

- Conflict between return to God for truth vs. sinful ways - Who is God in our world?

Why did Augustine leave Rome?

- Confliction with image of God and evil - Students didn't pay him - Goes to Milan

Monica in Ostia

- Conversation about saints-> Truth+ Love and after life - She did her will and then she fell ill and passed away

Book I Main Topic

- Curiosity of God - How can we make assumptions on God and right vs. wrong if we can identify/remember self (baby)

Critiques on Neoplatonism (2)

- Fails to praise god - Polytheist ideals

Book VII Main Topics

- First encounter with Neoplatonic philosophy - Combines philosophy + faith - Dilemma of God's being

Evil in chapter VII

- Free will-> evil. - Why is evil even an option? - If material items are evil, why did God create it? - Does not exist

Neoplatonism and Imagery of God

- Looked within in to realize there is no "Image". God is simply the cause of existence.

Book III Main Topic

- Manichee religion in Carthage - Desire to love and to be loved - Corruption his heretic beliefs - Ending with his mother's plead for a priest to "heal" soul

Key Concepts drawing Augustine to Chrisitanity

- Metaphorical interpretations of Old Test. - Church with no "proof"-> Faith =knowledge

Book VI Main Topics

- Milan Conversion to Christianity

Book II Main Topic

- Most sinful stage of Adolescents - Sexual desires - Desires to violate rules and cause chaos - Silence of God

Augustine in Milan Garden

- Need to calm down after hearing Alypius - Upset and frustrated that he is failing at faith - Child's voice-> Bible reading - Decides that he needs to take action on his faith

Dilemma of God's being

- Recognizes God is NOT material, but can not fully understand the spiritual aspect. - Compares to an ocean

Book IX Main Topics

- Recount of retirement, baptism, and Monica's death

Similarities b/w Book and Class

- Resembles McGraths

Why did Augustine leave Carthage?

- Rowdy students, white lie to mother to go to Rome

Book simulating Genesis

- Similar to Genesis and contradicts Manichees - No reference to Christ(human)

Origin of evil

- Something lacking in true existence. - Being that has turned away from God - Unaware of his existence - There is NO evil

God's being in Book VIII

- Spiritual being without substanance

Book VIII Main Topics

- Wants to be a memberr of the church - Conversion in Milan

Criticisms of Manichee

1. Concerns their dependence on mythology(Divine beings are sun/moon) 2. Divine beings are physical beings; God is a spirit

Maniche challenges on God

1. Manichees challenge the source of evil because God is suppose to be good 2. God as a being - counters with saying God created all other beings 3. Rejection of Genesis and the Old Testament

Reasons for disconnect with God(2)

1. Weight of sins(sex) 2. Lack of Faith in Christ (mediator b/w God and man)

Two wills

1. Will to take action 2. Will to will for action

Augustine converts at age

32

___ his conversion year ___ his baptism year

386 AD conversion, 387 AD baptism

Augustine lived ___ years

76

Adeodatus

Augustine and unknown woman's son (dies at 17)

Patrick

Augustine's Pagan Father

____ used the saints relics of _____ and _____(martyrs)

Bishop Ambrose Protasius and Gervasius

who teaches Augustine about christianity ___, along with ___ and ____

Bishop Ambrose, Alypius and Nebridius

He goes to ___ to be educated

Carthage

Augustine's odyssey

Carthage to Rome to Milan and back to Carthage

Augustine was a Catholic ____but going to Milan takes up ___

Catechumen, orthodox Christianity

Ambrose

Catholic Bishop in Milan. Responsible for conversion and interpretation of the Old Testament had an immense influence. Baptizes Augustine

Second book of Augustine

City of God

Augustine's baptism is differed why?

Common practice and meant to leave the cleansing of sin until after the hazards of youth = maximize the new life after sins were accumulated

At age 17, Augustine took a ____

Concubine

Victorinus

Converted to chirstianity near end of life= inspiration to Augustine

most persuasive teacher and most blessed martyr

Cyprian

Christ acceptance?

Eventually will accept the being of Christ as chosen by God because of his excellent faith

when mother passes, Augustine begins to analyze ____

Genesis 1

Manichee

Hertical version of chrisianity and the biggest mistake of his life

Faustus

Highly respect Maniche teacher in Carthage. Modest but his inability to answer Augustine's curiosity-> leaving manichee beliefs

Cicero's book ___ argues that ___ is key to a good life

Hortensius, philosophy

____ persecuted Catholic christians

Justina

Popular religion based on good and evil; sin was inevitable due to the materiality of evil

Manichaeism

Who joined Augustine in converting?

Nebridius and verecundus

What initiated Augustine's immersion into Christianity?

Old Testament figuratively interpreted as metaphors and ideals

Nebridius

One of Augustine's close friends in Milan, Nebridius accompanies Augustine and Alypius in their philosophical struggles. He also joins Augustine in his decision to convert

Monica dies at ___

Ostia

Secretary who wrote his Life and by Saint Augustine

Paulinus

Theft of ___ and why Augustine loved to do so

Pears, it was forbidden

Then Augustine becomes ordained as ___

Priest in hippo regius and then becomes bishop

Leaves North Africa for Rome, appointed ____

Professor of rhetoric in Milan

Augustine educated as

Rhetorician

Augustine mother

Saint Monica

Physical objects associated with holy men and women (usually martyrs) which are believed to possess miraculous power

Saints relics

What pleasure "enslaves" him

Sexual escapades/sexual desires during his adolescents

Augustine born where

Thagaste, north africa

Transcience

Unreasonable attachment to moral beings. God is permanent and prevents misery

Why did he retire as teacher?

Wants to fully embrace God

Augustine's wife

Wife 12 years old - Nebidius and Alypius do not encourage - increase status

Thagaste: a. Participated in? b. Overall view

a. Public office (improve speech) and Manicheism and salesman b. Self-destruction

According to Augustine, God is in all things

as a whole in each thing

vision associated with monica

eternal wisdom

Monica struggled with ___

getting drunk on whine

what makes him read the letters of Paul

he hears a voice of a child singing "take and read"

To whom was the book he lost dedicated

hiereus

Augustine thinks his mother was used as a ______ for his conversion

higher purpose

Manicheans found the Old Testament unethical in part because

it seems to endorse polygamy

Plotinus founded the school of

neoplatonism

evil has no actual existence--things are "evil" or "wicked" according to a hierarchy of being in which some things are closer to God's supreme and infinite being than others

neoplatonism

Augustine's idea of memory is inspired by

plato

what ultimately leads to Augustine's desire of faith

reading the letters of Paul

On first reading the Bible, Augustine is turned off by its

simple style

The four kinds of memory are

skills, ideas, sensory images, and emotions

What book does Augustine understand that challenges many people

the ten categories

monica was buried near

tiber river