PHL 409 test #2

greatness

God’s infinite majesty and power

• Augustine contrasts with human weakness and dependence on God. true greatness as belonging only to God, while humans can achieve it only through faith and divine grace.

love/lust

love is true devotion to God, while lust is a sinful desire for earthly pleasures.

• Augustine struggles with lust in his youth, seeing it as a barrier to spiritual fulfillment. his journey is about replacing lust with divine love.

Theft of the Pears

symbolizes sin for its own sake.

• Augustine steals pears not out of need but for the thrill of doing wrong. this act reflects human sinfulness, the pull of evil, and the need for God’s grace to overcome sinful desires.

Manicheism

about dualistic struggle between good(light, spirit) and evil (darkness, matter)

• heretical belief system Augustine followed before converting to Christianity.

• Augustine later rejects is, realizing evil is not a separate force but a corruption of good, and true wisdom comes from God

pride

the root of sin, where one turns away from God and relies on themselves instead of His grace. it leads to intellectual arrogance, moral corruption, and resistance to salvation. the antidote to pride is humility, which allows one to receive God’s wisdom and grace.

beauty

a reflection of God’s truth and goodness.

• early in life Augustine sought beauty in worldly pleasures but later realized that true beauty comes from God alone. he sees God as the source of all beauty, surpassing anything in the material world

truth

God Himself- the ultimate, unchanging reality.

• early in life Augustine sought truth in philosophy and false beliefs, but he later realized that true wisdom comes only through God. truth is intellectual knowledge and divine presence that illuminates the soul.

skepticism

a dangerous doubt that keeps the soul from truth

materialism

a misguided attachment to worldly things that distracts the soul from God

• early in life Augustine pursude pleasure, wealth, and status believing they would bring fulfillment. later he realizes that true joy comes not from material things but from seeking God, the ultimate truth and source of happiness.

evil

the absence or corruption of good rather than a force of its own

• augustine rejects the idea tat evil is a substance and instead sees it as a turning away from God, who is the source of all goodness

neo-platonism

augustine finds this incomplete because it lacks Christ and the concept of grace, which he sees as essential for salvation

intellectual ecstasy

a moment of deep spiritual enlightenment where the mind briefly grasps divine truth

• occurs for Augustine when he contemplates God beyond the physical world

conversion

turning from sin and self-reliance to God through grace. it is an internal transformation, requiring humility and faith

• Augustine’s conversion, in Book 8, is marked by surrounding his will to God and finding true peace in Him

communal mystical experience

Augustine reflects on how his relationship with others, like his mother Monica, and he church community, played a role in his spiritual awakening and understanding of God’s grace. these shared experiences contributed to his mystical encounters with God.

depravity and mercy

depravity is the corrupted states of the human soul due to sin, leading people to turn away from God. mercy is God’s compassionate act of forgiveness and grace, freely given to restore sinners to Himself, despite their unworthiness

How are the confessions Augustine provides about his own life related to his attempts to call God into himself in prayer?

Augustine’s confessions are his way of opening up to God, acknowledging his sins, and seeking God’s mercy. His reflections on his life are linked to his prayers, where he calls God into his heart, seeking forgiveness and transformation.

What is perfect being theology, and in what ways does Augustine’s reflection about the nature of God in Book 1 express it?

Perfect being theology is the idea that God is the greatest possible being, possessing all perfections (such as omnipotence, omniscience, and goodness). In Book 1 of Confessions, Augustine reflects on God as the ultimate, unchanging source of all goodness and truth, emphasizing that God is perfect and lacks nothing, contrasting His perfection with human imperfection.

What, if anything, does the theft of the pears reveal to us about human desire?

In Confessions (Books 1–9), the theft of the pears reveals that human desire can be irrational and driven by a longing for something forbidden, even without need. Augustine reflects that he stole the pears not for the fruit, but for the thrill of rebellion, showing how desires can be distorted by pride and a desire to defy God.

In what way(s), if at all, does Augustine suggest that sorrow is a good or beneficial thing?

Augustine suggests that sorrow is beneficial because it leads to self-awareness and repentance. It makes one realize the need for God’s grace, turning sorrow into a path to spiritual healing and growth.

How did Augustine, in his 20s, think philosophical texts, such as Cicero’s Hortensius, compare to the Bible, and how does he think they compare when now writing the Confessions, in his late 40s?

In his 20s, Augustine thought philosophical texts like Cicero's Hortensius were more intellectually stimulating and appealing than the Bible. He saw them as offering wisdom and guidance. However, by the time he wrote Confessions, in his late 40s, Augustine viewed the Bible as the ultimate source of truth and wisdom, recognizing its spiritual depth and divine power, far surpassing mere philosophical writings.

In what way(s) does Augustine describe his intelligence as harmful to him?

Augustine describes his intelligence as harmful because it led him to pride and self-reliance, causing him to seek wisdom for personal glory rather than for God. His intellectual pursuits also led him to embrace false teachings, like Manichaeism, preventing him from understanding the true faith.

What is the Dionysian Principle, and what does it entail about the goodness of material things?

Dionysian Principle refers to the idea that material things, though not inherently evil, can lead people away from God when they are idolized or misused. Augustine, influenced by Neoplatonism and thinkers like Dionysius, acknowledges that material beauty and pleasures are good in themselves but should be understood as reflections of God's greater, spiritual beauty. They should point toward God, not distract from Him.

What is the Manichee account of God and evil, and how does it differ from the neo-Platonic account Augustine comes to accept?

Augustine contrasts the Manichaean view of God and evil with his later Neo-Platonic understanding. The Manichaeans believed in two equal, opposing forces of good and evil, with God being part of the good force. In contrast, the Neo-Platonics saw evil as the absence of good, with God as the source of all goodness, and evil as a corruption, not a separate force. Augustine eventually accepted the Neo-Platonic view, rejecting the dualism of Manichaeism.

In what way(s) do the conversion stories Augustine hears apply or not apply to his own case?

Augustine hears conversion stories of others that both inspire and challenge him. While some people experience sudden, dramatic conversions, Augustine’s own journey is more gradual, marked by internal struggles and doubts. His case highlights that conversions can be unique and occur in different ways, with God's grace working in varied forms.

Why does Augustine resist conversion to Christianity, and what finally gives him the strength to convert to Christianity?

Augustine resists conversion to Christianity because of his attachment to worldly pleasures, intellectual pride, and doubts about the faith. What finally gives him the strength to convert is a moment of spiritual clarity, sparked by reading a passage from the Bible ("Take and read"), which leads to a deep sense of God's call and grace.