Dr. Ann Orlando

 Why Read Augustine’s Confessions ?
 Augustine’s Life and Works
 Introduction to Confessions
 Scripture
 On Teaching Christianity

 To Western Theology and Philosophy
Augustine’s Importance Cannot Be
Overstated
 For Western Christianity, he is the most important theologian from this period
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Arguably the most important theologian from any period
 Every serious Western theologian after
Augustine must in some way ‘deal’ with
Augustine
 Example: Far more references to
Augustine in CCC (87) than anyone else

 Theodicy
 Epistemology
 Sacraments
 Theology of Trinity
 Ecclesiology
 Justification
 Primacy of love

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Augustine was the standard for doctrinal truth and theological method throughout the
Middle Ages and Reformation
Aquinas (13
 th C) runs into trouble because
He seems to abandon Augustine’s theological method (Neoplatonism) for Aristotelianism
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But also because of primacy of intellect over will
Open any page of ST and see number of references to Augustine
Renaissance begins when Petrarch reads Confessions
Luther and Calvin claim Augustine for themselves in opposition to Scholasticism
Galileo tries to defend himself using Augustine (especially the Confessions)
Early Modernity rejects Augustine’s definition of man as part of society
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Hobbes
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Locke
Enlightenment rejection of Christianity is specifically a rejection of Augustine
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Rousseau
Voltaire
Diderot
Existentialists of 20 th C continue campaign specifically against Augustine;
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Albert Camus The Plague
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Charles Freeman, The Closing of the Western Mind
Recent new translations of and ‘popular’ interest in Augustine: New City Press; J.J.
O’Donnell, Garry Wills
Pope Benedict XVI has defined himself, and is often referred to as, an Augustinian theologian

 Because…
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Augustine is important
One of the most read books in Western literature
Presents many important points in theology
 Really because Augustine the Bishop and fellow pilgrim toward the Kingdom of Heaven wants us to learn from his spiritual journey
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Greatest theological reflection essay ever written
This is NOT a diary or an autobiography

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Born near Carthage in 354 to a devoutly Catholic mother
(St. Monica) and worldly father (Patrick)
In youth leads a life of pleasure searching for happiness
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Flirts with Manichaeism
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Becomes enamored with Platonism (Plotinus)
Conversion to Catholic Christianity
Ordained priest 391, bishop of Hippo 395
Died on 28 August 430
Peter Brown’s book Augustine of Hippo remains the most important biography of Augustine in English
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Be sure to get the New Edition with Epilogue
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Discusses discovery of 12 previously unstudied letters and sermons of Augustine (396-404)

 Augustine being baptized by
Benozzo Gozzoli http://www.wff.org/StAugustine.html
 Metropolitan Museum of Art http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/h o/05/afe/ho_18.9.2.htm

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Augustine’s friend and biographer, Possidius, catalogued Augustine's works after his death and observed that no one would be able to read them all
Among the vitally important works
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Against the Academics
On Free Will
Confessions
On the Trinity
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City of God
On Christian Teaching
Retractions concerning On Free Will
Nearly innumerable letters, treatises, homilies, commentaries
Commentary, expositions, sermons on Psalms

 Late Antiquity and the Roman Empire
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Political situation
Philosophical schools
 Status of Catholic Church
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Most potent heresy of 4 th Century: Arianism
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Books of the Bible

www.fsmitha.com/h1/map18rm.htm

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One of THE most important events in history happens in
4 th Century: conversion of Roman Empire to Christianity
At the beginning of the Fourth Century, worst persecution of Christians (Emperor Diocletian)
Constantine the Great attributes his victory at the Milvian
Bridge (312) in Rome to Christianity
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After Constantine, large numbers of people become Christians
By the end of the century, Christianity declared official religion of Roman Empire by Theodosius the Great (381)

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At beginning of 4 th Century, Empire united under
Diocletian and Constantine
Throughout 4 th Century civil wars among Constantine’s sons and successors
Theodosius the Great reunites the Empire
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Last Emperor of ‘entire’ Roman Empire
Barbarian invasions begin in West late 4 th C, key moment is sack of Rome in 410
Empire become divided East (capitol, Constantinople) and West (capitol, Rome)
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Western Roman Empire ceases to exist 476
Eastern Roman Empire ceased to exist 1453

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In this period, no distinction between Catholic (West) and Orthodox
(East)
Becomes ‘politically expedient’ to join Church
Most potent Christian heresy: Arianism
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Belief that Christ was made by Father; not divine as Father is divine
Council of Nicea (325) called to combat Arianism; Creed
By end of 4 th Century Arianism no longer a threat within Roman Empire
Another dangerous heresy: Donatism
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Prevalent in 4 th Century North Africa
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Believed in strict Christian discipline
Efficacy of sacraments depended on holiness of minister
Augustine was main foe of Donatists

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Prior to 4 th Century, many different views within
Christianity about what is sacred scripture
Old Testament in or out? Some wanted to reject Old
Testament completely
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God seems angry, vengeful, anthropomorphic
Notion develops that creator god is evil and opposed to spiritual good god
Which books of New Testament? Some want to severely restrict books, some want to include other books
How to interpret the Bible, especially the Old Testament
(more on this next week)
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Literally
Allegorically

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Written at the same time (c. 396) Augustine wrote the Confessions
Addressed to clergy on how to teach Christianity
Primacy of Scripture,
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How to understand it
How to preach it
Principles given by Augustine are applied in his
Confessions
To enter into spirituality of Confessions, must enter into how Augustine came to understand
Scripture

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Written shortly after Augustine was named bishop of Hippo (395-400)
Written at the request of his friend Paulinus of
Nola; 11 years after his baptism
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It is Augustine the bishop reflecting in middle age on events in his youth;
It is not telling the story of his youth; it is a reflection
The 13 Books are Augustine's divisions
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Confessions (as most books in antiquity) was serialized
Each of 13 Books was an installment
Became an instant best seller

 Confessio : both ‘accusation of oneself and praise for God’ Sermon 67.2
 It is first and foremost a prayer, not an autobiography;
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The work is addressed to God
 There should be an AMEN at end of Book
XIII

 Henry Chadwick, Oxford University Press,
1991
 Mary Boulding, New City Press, 1997
 But please do not use translation available on the Web. It is very turgid, plotting
Victorian English.

 Division of 13 Books is Augustine’s division
 Usually considered in two parts:
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Augustine’s past (I-IX)
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Augustine's present (X-XIII)
 NB: The last 4 books (Part 2) are an integral part of the whole
 Later editors in 16 th and 17 th centuries added chapter and paragraph numbers

 Can be viewed as a chiasm
 Book I: From God; birth and relationship of infant with mother
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Book II: Bondage of Flesh
• Book III: Slavery of eyes and mind; problem of evil
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Book IV Ambition of World
• Book V Encounter with Faustus, Manichaeism, philosophy; moving from Carthage to Rome
Book VI: Recognition of emptiness of world’s ambition
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Book VII: Freedom of mind; resolution of problem of evil
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Book VIII: Liberation from bondage of flesh
Book IX: Relation to Monica, her death, return to God

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Book X: Augustine the Bishop at the end of his reflection on his youth, meditates on
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Memory and knowledge
Sin
Book XI: Augustine the Bishop meditates on
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“In the beginning”
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What is Time
Book XII: Augustine the Bishop meditates on
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“God created the heavens and the earth”
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How to interpret Scripture and authorial intent
Book XIII: Augustine the Bishop meditates on
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Trinity
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Church
NB: Augustine uses the word ‘confessions’ more often in these last four than the previous nine books

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Book X: Augustine the Bishop at the end of his reflection on his youth, meditates on
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Memory and knowledge
Sin
Book XI: Augustine the Bishop meditates on
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“In the beginning”
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What is Time
Book XII: Augustine the Bishop meditates on
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“God created the heavens and the earth”
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How to interpret Scripture and authorial intent
Book XIII: Augustine the Bishop meditates on
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Trinity
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Church
NB: Augustine uses the word ‘confessions’ more often in these last four than the previous nine books

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Lecture 1: Introduction
Lecture 2: Books I and II
Lecture 3: Books III and IV
Lecture 4: Books V and VI
Lecture 5: Books VII and VIII
Lecture 6: Book IX
Lecture 7: Book X
Lecture 8: Book XI and XII
Lecture 9: Book XIII
Week 10: Pelagianism and Conclusions

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Historical and philosophical background on each Book
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Historical and social context
Intellectual movements
People
Key aspects of the Book itself
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Truth about human nature
• Epistemology
• Language
• Evil and sin
• Love and Happiness
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Truth about Creation
Truth about God
Connections between Book understudy and other Books
Scripture
Influence of Confessions
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Impact in later intellectual history
How does this theological reflection touch us

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Book I: School books on Greek grammar, Virgil Aeneid
Book II: Sallust, Catiline
Book III: Cicero, Hortensius, and Old Testament
Book IV: Manichean texts, Aristotle
Book V: Compares Manichean texts with astronomy; reads Academics; Ambrose explains Old Testament
Book VI: Ambrose continues to explain Old Testament;
Book VII: Platonists and Paul
Book VIII: Athanasius, Life of Antony and Paul
Book IX: Isaiah
Book X: Reading himself (memory)
Book XI, XII, XIII: Interpreting Genesis
But all now understood through Scripture, as a theological reflection

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Written about the same time he wrote the Confessions
Purpose is to describe how to interpret Scripture to arrive at truth then to preach it
Prolog: Addressed to opponents
Book I: Advancing in love of God and neighbor is acid test for understanding Scripture:
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So anyone who thinks he has understood the divine scriptures or any part of them, but cannot by his understanding buildup this double love of God and neighbor, has not yet succeeded in understanding them. (I.xxvi.40.86)
Book II: Reading Scripture, Language, Spiritual Progress
Book III: Detailed Rules for analyzing Scripture
Book IV: How to Preach; written 10 years after Books I,
II, III

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Read carefully On Christian Teaching
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Prolog
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Book I
Peter Brown, Augustine of Hippo,
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Introduction
1. Africa
Discussion: focus on PRIMARY source readings (in this case On
Christian Teaching), NOT secondary source (Brown)
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Start one discussion thread by Friday, May 28
Respond to two threads by Sunday, May 30 (optional this week only)
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS give Book, Chapter, paragraph as reference for primary texts; NOT page numbers.
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Think about how you reference the Bible

 Three Volume Commentary (Latin text,
English descriptions) on Confessions by
JJ O’Donnell, http://www.stoa.org/hippo/
 Online Cliff Notes, http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/St-
Augustine-s-Confessions.id-166,pageNum-1.html