150 likes | 375 Views
The Confessions St. Augustine (354-430 CE). Prepared by: Dr. Kay Picart Assistant Professor of English & Humanities. Biography/Historical Backdrop. Born in Thagaste Trained as a rhetorician product of a religiously mixed marriage Monnica (Catholic) and Patricius (agnostic)
E N D
The ConfessionsSt. Augustine (354-430 CE) Prepared by: Dr. Kay Picart Assistant Professor of English & Humanities
Biography/Historical Backdrop • Born in Thagaste • Trained as a rhetorician • product of a religiously mixed marriage • Monnica (Catholic) and Patricius (agnostic) • initially a hedonist
Additional Sites • Augustine of Hippo • Augustine(Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy) • Saint Augustine
Biography/Historical Backdrop • Lived with an unnamed woman, had a son, “Adeodatus” (“gift of Baal”) • attracted to Manicheism--founded by Mani (Babylonian; claimed to be the Holy Spirit; crucified as a heretic)
The Problem of Evil • How can one reconcile the presence of a Christian God who is: • Omnipotent (all powerful) • Omniscient (all knowing) • Omnibenevolent (all caring) • with Evil in the world?
The Problem of Evil • Perhaps He is not omnipotent even if he were omniscient and omnibenevolent • Mani’s dualism: the principles of light & darkness • asceticism: the barest necessities
Augustine’s Conversion • Foreshadowing: • Augustine’s primary sins:
Augustine’s Conversion • child’s voice:
Guide Questions for Dante’s Inferno (Jan. 31, NOT Jan. 29): • Do you see any similarities/differences b/w Dante’s vision of hell and the movie, Seven? • Do you see any similarities between Dante and Augustine (hint: they are both confessions of sins in some senses)?