Augustine’s On Christian Doctrine is an introduction to interpreting and clarifying the Bible. Throughout his book, Augustine reveals utmost rhetoric ability. The entire book is made up of four individual “books” or chapters. I’m going to focus on the first two books.
Book One begins by discussing enjoyment, use, and interpretation, by relating numerous Christian principles to these ideas. Augustine begins with a discussion of steps in the interpretive process. He talked about the discovery of what is to be understood, and a way of teaching what has been discovered.
Another prominent theme in Book One is the comparison of things and signs. Signs are used to symbolize things, but are considered things themselves because they too represent meaning. They are given meaning through their recurrence and repetition throughout society (Augustine, p. 9).
Augustine also wrote about how some things are to be enjoyed and others are to be used. Things we enjoy are those we find good in it, and things we use are those that are good for the sake of something else. The only thing that is to be enjoyed is God. All other things, including other human beings, are to be used in relation to the proper end of enjoyment (Augustine, p. 9).
Book One concludes with a discussion of love: how we ought to love God, how God’s love is expressed in his use of kindness, and how people may appreciate God’s love through Scriptures, faith, and charity. “He wishes to be loved, not for selfish ends, but so that He may confer an eternal reward on those who love Him, which is the very object of their love” (Augustine, p. 25). Augustine also claims that those who think they understand the Scriptures, but do not interpret them to reflect charity and love, don’t really ...
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...nd comparisons, and challenge resources outside of Scripture. Kay certainly discerns Scripture by asking the right questions.
What Kay Arthur really hit hard in her book and the important ideas that I took away in my study are to mark the text and ask the right questions to be able to observe, interpret, and apply on my own by asking who, what, where, when, why, and how. "Observing the context is an absolutely critical step to accurately interpreting Scripture. Context is the critical setting that rules all interpretation” (Arthur, p. 19). This hands-on book really communicates how to inductively study Scripture and specifically mark the text to reveal its significance. I now have a clearer understanding of how to find the main point of any Scripture passage as well as how to distinguish God’s purpose for me by applying the truth of God’s Word to my everyday life.
Unlike other texts of the time, Augustine’s confessions are less of an epic tale or instructive texts, both of which soug...
From Augustine’s experience we can see that knowledge is critical, and sometimes even more important than correct opinion. Although both of them could lead people to success, knowledge is more reliable and long-standing. God prompted Augustine to transform from a Manichee to a Christian. Such transformation requires Augustine to have deeper understanding from the soul, is not what merely correct opinion could bring about. Augustine once feared that he would not manage to find the truth, but his faith in God enables him to acquire knowledge and approach the truth. Augustine’s reflection made him a person closer to God.
In “On Free Choice of the Will”, Augustine indicates the importance of his beliefs and opinions of human nature and of God. He thinks as greatly of God as possible and centralizes his thoughts of goodness with the concept of being/form (God); he also gives a description of how God’s rightness can be interpreted clearly through the evil doings of the world. One of the biggest and most difficult problems facing people is the problem of doing evil. If God is being, unchanging, eternal and all-powerful, then how is it that people do evil? Augustine tries to solve the problem by examining the “source of evil” and “what evil is”. He explores the ways in which to live a happy life and an evil-free life by having a perfectly ordered soul—a life willed by the virtues—through free will. In the pursuit to find out how it is that evil exists, Augustine explores how people sin with inordinate desire as the driving force and free will. He lists the things we need to possess in order to sin and to live a happy life—goods of the will and temporal goods—that is, one cannot sin without temporal goods, inordinate desire, and free will. In the same way, one cannot live a happy life without goods of the will and free will.
Book 10 pursues Augustine’s analysis of memory and the temptation of the senses which has been a mystical concept to him throughout his life. He focuses on the idea that memory is an unconscious knowledge, an idea that he created based on the Platonic notion that “learning is actually the process of the soul remembering what it already knew and forgot upon taking the human form.” Augustine begins Book 10 with expressing his love for God and saying, “When I love God, what do I love?” He does not connect God with the five physical senses, but rather with intangible senses. He claims that in order to sense God, he must reflect into his soul. Augustine says that this is not something practiced among inanimate objects or “beasts” but yet they owe God for their existence. Augustine does not associate God with the “life of the body,” referencing his physical senses, but rather says that he considers there being another power that gives him the ability to live in ...
You prompt us yourself to find satisfaction in appraising you, since you made us tilted toward you, and our heart is unstable until stabilized in you. Quintessentially, this quote from Confessions symbolizes Augustine’s perilous journey towards Christianity. Although appearing earlier in what is colloquially known as the “first autobiography”, Augustine expounds on this very idea throughout his writings. Whether that includes his attraction and disdain for Manichaeism or his affinity with Neo-Platonism, one could argue this quote acted as the foundation of his inquisitions of these pre-modern dogmatic sects. Augustine, despite his perils with intellectual paradoxes, sought to understand these rigid entities that seemed to have variant positions on God’s goodness and temporal nature. Although Augustine eventually found refuge in Catholicism, nevertheless, he continued to explore the relationship between Gods benevolence and human dependence, even until his death.
Which resulted Augustine in exploring the philosophical road that led to his conversion from Macheanism to Neo-Platonism to Christianity. But later felt sorrowful for his mother that had died and confesses to God that everyone is a sinner right when they were born and through God that this sin can only be absorbed. He later moves back to Thagaste and then became Bishop of Hippo. As a “doctor” of the Chruch, he defended Christianity against false (heretic) interpretation. After his conversion, he refused to teach rhetoric. Yet, in the end, no matter what sin he had done Augustine found his savior. Which led him to write about how to convey God’s truth to diverse audiences and demonstrates that both the Bible and one’s own life are texts to be read and assessed against the true Cristian Doctrine. The last four books were like an appendix and offers an interpretation of the opening of the Book of Genesis. When Augustine’s converted to Christianity his appropriation of Platonic ideas uses his past sins and later confesses to God that will eventually enhance his soul and body. The consequences of this appropriation are that sins are considered to be
Augustine A commentary on Genesis: Two Books against the Manichees 2.2.3, quoted in Augustine The Literal Meaning of Genesis (ACW 42) 271.
Augustine states continuously that he was not yet in love, but was in love with love. This statement doesn't make sense to me. I don't believe that someone can be in love with something, if he or she doesn't understand what love is. "I was not yet in love, but I was in love with love, and from the very depth of my need hated myself for not more keenly feeling the need." (pg. 35) How can Augustine hate himself if he doesn't know what loves feel like? I think a lot of Augustine's statements about love are interesting. Augustine has some very good points about love, but he contradicts himself also. Is Augustine saying he wasn't in love or he doesn't understand love? Both of these statements make me wonder how can he be in love with love, if he isn't in love.
Rotelle,J. ed. The Works of Augustine, Sermons III/1 (Brooklyn: New City Press, 1990) pp. 312-313; original in PL 38:110-111.
Throughout the readings of both Aristotle and Augustine, each philosopher represented their views on the nature of happiness and their means for achieving that happiness in this life. Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who spent the majority of his life either teaching, studying, and writing known for positioning the majority of the groundwork for western philosophy along with Plato (“Aristotle’s Ethics”). Additionally, he touched on areas focused primarily on biology, physics, morality, and politics which were described in detail in his numerous philosophical treatises. Augustine, who is normally referred to as Augustine of Hippo, wrote an abundance of works which were also groundbreaking for the development of Western philosophy (“Saint Augustine”). His main focus was on the teachings of God as well as directing individuals to find peace with God because in order to achieve happiness, he believed finding peace with God was the first step. Traditionally, humans believe that happiness is achieved through the fulfillment of human nature and accomplishing a specific task or goal, and both Aristotle and Augustine defined this happiness and flourishing state in similar yet distinct ways. Aristotle and Augustine each developed separate views on the nature of happiness and the path to achieve that happiness; however, the best human life and highest fulfillment of happiness are achieved through Augustine’s approach to human flourishing.
7-12- Again Augustines thoughts on God reflect that of the religious teachings of his day, namely those of the Neoplatonists. For example he refuses to speculate on how the soul joins the body to become an infant and even follows Plato when he suggests that this life could possibly be some kind of “living death”. He then goes into an examination of his infancy, which he depicts as a quite pitiful state. He described himself as a sinful and thoughtless creature who made demands on everyone, wept unceasingly, and gave everyone a hard time that took care of him. Though very brutal in his self examination, he later states that he does not hold himself accountable for any of these sinful acts because he simply can’t remember them.
This is a brief summary of what Augustine believed regarding (1) the origin of sin and (2) the
Augustine states continuously that he was not yet in love, but was in love with love. This statement doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t believe that someone can be in love with something, if he or she doesn’t understand what love is. “I was not yet in love, but I was in love with love, and from the very depth of my need hated myself for not more keenly feeling the need.” (pg. 35) How can Augustine hate himself if he doesn’t know what loves feel like? I think a lot of Augustine’s statements about love are interesting. Augustine has some very good points about love, but he contradicts himself also. Is Augustine saying he wasn’t in love or he doesn’t understand love? Both of these statements make me wonder how can he be in love with love, if he isn’t in love.
...unconditional love for God. Once Augustine converts, he attains the purest form of love and it is solely reserved for God.
..., the closer he was really moving toward God. He began to realize that God is all good, so nothing he creates will be of evil. “God does not create evil but it is of the world” (Augustine 230-31). Once he took responsibility for his personal life and spiritual walk, Augustine began to uncover the truths to his life. He reveals one must take responsibility for their actions and confess to develop a stronger connection with God. He then comprehends; God allows bad things to happen in your life to show you that you need him. Evil is not a lesser good, but it is a reflection of ones moral well-being. In order for one’s well being to be saved one must confess their sins to Christ.