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Lecture 19: Augustine and Confessions

Lecture 19: Augustine and Confessions. Dr. Ann T. Orlando 5 November 2013. Outline. Historical background Brief sketch of his life Some Key Themes in Augustine On Christian Doctrine Confessions. Importance of Augustine to Western Theology Cannot Be Overstated.

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Lecture 19: Augustine and Confessions

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  1. Lecture 19: Augustine and Confessions Dr. Ann T. Orlando 5November 2013

  2. Outline • Historical background • Brief sketch of his life • Some Key Themes in Augustine • On Christian Doctrine • Confessions

  3. Importance of Augustine to Western Theology Cannot Be Overstated • For Western Christianity, he is the most important theologian from this period • Arguably the most important theologian from any period • Every serious Western theologian after Augustine must in some way ‘deal’ with Augustine • Augustine was the standard for doctrinal truth and theological method throughout the Middle Ages • Anselm on Trinity • Aquinas (13th C) runs into trouble because • He seems to abandon Augustine’s theological method (Neoplatonism) for Aristotle • 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 • Augustine is patron saint of Jansenists, Augustinus • Enlightenment rejection of Christianity is specifically a rejection of Augustine • But some of his philosophical efforts still command the attention of contemporary philosophers: Wittgenstein (language), Heidegger (memory), Derrida (structuralism/deconstruction), Camus and Hick (evil), Hawking (time) and many others • 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; Five General Audience Talks on Augustine

  4. Critical and Defining Issues for Augustine • Happiness • Theodicy • Relation between human nature and God’s grace • Trinity • Epistemology • Theories of Language • Primacy of love; • Man as a social being who should be completely motivated by properly ordered loves • “Love and do whatever you will” • Importance of friendship • Heresies that Augustine argued against • Arianism • Donatism • Manichaeism • Pelagianism

  5. Brief Biographical Sketch • Born near Carthage in 354 to a devoutly Catholic mother and worldly father • In youth leads a life of pleasure searching for happiness • Flirts with Manichaeism • 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 • Be sure to get the New Edition with Epilogue • Discusses discovery of 12 previously unstudied letters and sermons of Augustine (396-404)

  6. Augustine’s Works • 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 which every Catholic theologian should read • On Free Will • Confessions • On the Trinity • City of God • On Christian Teaching • Retractions concerning On Free Will • Nearly innumerable letters, treatises, homilies, commentaries • Retractions (Reconsiderations)

  7. On Christian Teaching • Written c. 400; audience is primarily preachers, especially bishops • Augustine tells us he divided the material into two parts: • Rules for Interpreting Scripture (Part I: Books I-III) and • Preaching Scripture (Part 2: Book IV) • How to interpret and preach ambiguous and difficult Scripture passages • Book I • Difference between enjoying something and using it; we should use this world, not enjoy it, in order to return home to God • “Anyone who thinks they have understood Scripture but cannot by his understanding build up this double love of God and neighbor, has not yet succeeded in understanding it” (I.xxxvi)

  8. On Christian Teaching (Cont.) • Book II • Theory of signs • To properly read Scripture, must make spiritual ascent ; seven stages of ascent • List of OT and NT canon of Scripture • Use Scripture to interpret Scripture • Problems of translating into Latin; preachers should know Greek and Hebrew • “The authority of the Septuagint is supreme” (II.xv) • Importance of knowing history, geography, astronomy, mathematics and logic in studying Scripture • Book III • “By love I mean the impulse of one’s mind to enjoy God on his own account and to enjoy oneself and one’s neighbor on account of God; and by lust I mean the impulse of one’s mind to enjoy oneself and one’s neighbor and any corporeal thing not on account of God.” (III.x) • All deeds of OT are to be interpreted figuratively as well as literally • Seven rules of Tyconius

  9. On Christian Teaching (Cont) • Book IV • Rhetoric can be used to convince people of falsehood; Christian preacher should first of all be concerned to preach the truth • By reading and studying Christian literature outside of canon, preacher can learn how to preach • “The wisdom of what a person says is in direct proportion to his progress in learning the holy Scriptures – and I am not speaking of intensive reading or memorization, but real understanding and careful investigation of their meaning.” (IV.v) • Before preaching, the preacher should lift his soul to God • The benefit of preaching is effected by God • Styles of preaching

  10. Introduction to Confessions • Written shortly after Augustine was named bishop of Hippo (395-400) • Written at the request of his friend Paulinus of Nola; written 11 years after his baptism • 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 • May have been written as a defense against charge that Augustine was still a Manichean • Became an instant best seller • It is first and foremost a prayer, not an autobiography; there should be an AMEN at end of Book XIII

  11. Structure • Division of 13 Books is Augustine’s division • Usually considered in two parts: • Augustine’s past (I-IX) • Augustine's present (X-XIII) • NB: The last 4 books (Part 2) are an integral part of the whole • In spite of the fact that some editors either abbreviate them or leave them out altogether • Which we will NOT do; Books X-XIII will be studied with equal vigor in this class

  12. Structure of Part 1: Augustine’s Past • Can be viewed as a chiasm • Book I: From God; birth and relationship of infant with mother • Book II: Bondage of Flesh • Book III: Slavery of eyes and mind; problem of evil • 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 • Book VII: Freedom of mind; resolution of problem of evil • Book VIII: Liberation from bondage of flesh • Book IX: Relation to Monica, her death, return to God

  13. Structure of Part 2: Augustine’s Present • Book X: Augustine the Bishop at the end of his reflection on his youth, meditates on • Memory and knowledge • Sin • Book XI: Augustine the Bishop meditates on • “In the beginning” • What is Time • Book XII: Augustine the Bishop meditates on • “God created the heavens and the earth” • How to interpret Scripture and authorial intent • Book XIII: Augustine the Bishop meditates on • Trinity • Church • NB: Augustine uses the word ‘confessions’ more often in these last four than the previous nine books • Confessio: both ‘accusation of oneself and praise for God’ Sermon 67.2

  14. But the entire work is one grand prayer • I.i (1) ‘Our heart is restless until it rests in you’ • In seeking him they will find him, and in finding they will praise him. Lord I would seek you, calling upon you – and calling upon you is an act of believing in you. It is your gift to me. You breathe it into me by the humanity of your Son • XIII.xxxvii (52) There also you will rest in us, just as now you work in us • XIII.xxxviii (53) Only you can be asked, only you can be begged, only on your door can we knock. Yes, indeed, that is how it is received, how it is found, how the door is opened • AMEN

  15. How We Will Read Confessions • Class discussion for entire period next three classes • You must select a topic by next class (Thurs Nov 7) • Be prepared at following three classes to discuss topic and hand in short paper each class • Tues, Nov 12Books I-V • Thurs, Nov 14Books VI – IX • Tues, Nov 21Books X-XIII • You MUST get these papers done on time for the assigned class with the assigned topic. Late papers will NOT be accepted!!

  16. Topics • Questions (2) • Philosophy (3) • Truth and knowledge (3) • Evil and sin (3) • Law, justice and society (2) • Friendship and love (3) • Scripture (2)

  17. Augustine’s Reflection on Confessions • confessionum mearum libri tredecim et de malis et de bonis meis deum laudant iustum et bonum atque in eum excitant humanum intellectum et affectum. interim quod ad me attinet, hoc in me egerunt cum scriberentur et agunt cum leguntur. Retractions 2.6.1 • The 13 books of my confession, of both my bad and good, praise the just and good God, and moreover they excite the human intellect and affection towards Him. As for what pertains to me, they did this in me when they were written, and they do this when they are read.

  18. Assignments • Tolle, lege • Read Confessions Books I – V for Tues. 11/12 • But I suggest you read the entire book before next class and complete your list for all 13 books • Confessions Books VI – IX for Thurs. 11/14 • Confessions Books X-XIII for Tues. 11/21 • Secondary Reading: • EITHER Chadwick “Augustine” in Early Christian Literature, p 328-341 • OR Introduction by Chadwick in text • OR Brown Augustine of Hippo, Chapter 16 • For even more detail, JJ O’Donnell’s three volume commentary (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992) on the Confessions is available online at http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/jod/conf/ • Starting next week, three classes will be entirely discussion; don’t look for notes on web

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