Augustine Reflection Essay - 1386 Words

The first two books of â€Å"Augustine’s Confessions† focuses primarily on his intellectual formation, his spirituality, and his education. Undoubtedly, Augustine is a very inquisitive individual, and obsesses over his sins. In doing so, Augustine poses all his questions to God, because he believed that our sole existence is to please God until we return to his presence. Moreover, Augustine’s primary lesson learned through his reflection, was that young Christians would benefit more from the study of Holy scriptures as apposed to the spirit defiling classical studies that have a tendency to promote sin. However, in order for one to reach the same conclusion as Augustine, one must consider his lessons learned from infancy, childhood, and†¦show more content†¦Although Augustine finds infancy repulsive and sinful, he realizes through infantile observation, that he learned to speak. He states, â€Å"So, as I heard the same words again and again properl y used in different phrases, I came gradually to grasp what things they signified; and forcing my mouth to the same sounds, I began to use them to express my own wishes† (Augustine 1.8.19). He learned to speak his demands of his own sinful needs. Now, his mother. Being a pious woman, felt anxiety about Augustine being baptized, so that he would be released from sin. However, Augustine fell ill, and his baptism delayed. Thus, he was left to his sinful nature. Clearly, Augustine has concluded that his lack of baptism played a significant role in his fall, and the importance of spirituality to protect one’s soul from grave peril. Secondly, Augustine’s childhood is recalled as less sinful, and learns the lesion of praising God for the good things about himself, and that his sins during his childhood were due to the misdirection of his gifts that took his eyes off God and placed them on the materialistic world, and the perverted human customs rather than moralit y or truth. For instance, he states to God, â€Å"Yet all these were the gifts of my God, for I did not give them to myself. All these were good, and all these were I. Therefore, He who made me is good and He is my good: and in him I shall exult for all the goodShow MoreRelatedAugustines View of Humanity1047 Words   |  4 PagesCollege Senior (4th year) Essay No Of Sources: 2 Statistical Analysis:Yes Topic:Essay Assignment Augustines Confessions Throughout Confessions, Augustines view humans-- essential nature interesting differences , time periods civilizations, humans. 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