Analysis Of St. Augustine s The Confessions - 1297 Words

Jake DeLeers Second Four-Page Essay In Books VIII and IX of the Confessions, St. Augustine describes a long and difficult personal spiritual journey to the end of being to accept and receive God’s grace. Augustine finally had to come to terms with his own intellectual and moral pride masquerading as autonomy and independence. He finally realized that his intellect could not serve as a tool to help a will incapable of overcoming his own sin. One useful way to compare Augustine’s spiritual struggle is to see in it some similarities with the story of Lucifer’s pride and fall into becoming Satan Book VIII starts with his statement of surety in knowing that God exists and is absolutely good – Augustine’s crisis is not one of faith but rather one of despair that he cannot overcome sin and lead a Christian life. He wants very much to lead a godly Christian life, but in the moment of temptation he cannot make the choices and renunciations required. Augustine knows full well what is required of him and he does not need to discover what to believe or how to live. Augustine just cannot make himself do it in practice and in living life day to day the way a Christian should. For guidance he goes to the bishop Simplicianus in Milan who tells him the conversion story of his friend Victorinus. The latter was a pagan master of rhetoric who decided to convert, but who is rebuked by Simplicianus for thinking he can be a Christian in secret, apart from the Church and the communion of fellowShow MoreRelatedReasons For St Augustine s Conversion2016 Words   |  9 Pageswith spirit. St Augustine Biography Info Augustine of Hippo was born on November 13, in AD 354, in Thagaste (modern day Souk Ahras, Algeria), and died on August 28, in AD 430, in modern-day Annaba, Algeria (then known as Hippo Regius). It was in the latter city where he was named Bishop 35 years prior to his death. 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