Confessions of St. Augustine Books 1-2
Well, I'm already changing the blog up after just one post. I found that I would have too much to say about each book after I'm finished with it, so I would go ahead and comment on a book as I'm reading it.
I got St. Augustine's Confessions back in the Spring of 05 to read for my community group, but I just now started reading it. I feel like I missed out on a lot in that group by not keeping up with the reading and contributing to the discussions. Instead I just coasted (much like school). Yet it is pretty impressive how much I got out of that group despite my minimal input.
I'm a little surprised at how utterly readable the book is. Its basically St. Augustine's autobiography, but the twist is it's written as a prayer to God. This is a man who was brought up on philosophers and smartypants and all that stuff, but he still ended up a Christ follower, his intellect intact. In fact, apparently he is responsible for shaping many of the foundations of theology. I say shaping because the material was already there but he gave names to certain beliefs like original sin (although I suppose that's not a universally held belief among Christians).
In "Book One" he starts at the literal beginning of his life. How many autobiographies do you read where the writer laments that he can't remember his infancy? (I don't think I want to remember mine, infancy seems like an unpleasant experience when you think about it.) He says that from observing infants he can speculate that he was the same way. He sees that one baby cries for milk while another is being fed although that baby needs this milk to survive. So he doesn't care about the welfare of the other baby and this reveals a sin nature. I think that's the jist of it. Pretty interesting.
You know, actually there is way too much to write about here, so I'm just going to discuss two quotes:
Since Augustine is a philosopher he wants to try and come up with an explanation for everything (but who doesn't really?). He writes a few paragraphs about all the unimaginable things that God has done and will do, but he cannot fathom an explanation for how it is accomplished. Augustine's response to someone who does not understand: "Let him also rejoice and prefer to seek Thee, even if he fails to find an answer, rather than to seek an answer and not find Thee" I have so many questions and so many things I don't understand about this faith. I realize that seminary and years and years of studying will never answer all of my questions. But the faith is not about pursuit of an answer, it is about a pursuit of God, or more appropriately opening ourselves to God's pursuit of us.
If you look at my book there is at least one sentence underlined in every paragraph. This guy is very quotable. However, one paragraph stuck out to me as a whole. I have always bristled at any thought that starts with "God cannot" because there is nothing He cannot do. The idea that "God cannot make a circle a square" bothers me. Yeah, if he wanted to, He could rip apart the fabric of the time-space continuim and make circles squares and rocks apples and boys girls and trees guitars, but since He has decided the world should be this way He doesn't mess with it. For whatever reason, the way the world is and the way the world will be when it is redeemed is the way He decided is good. Otherwise, you are putting the law: "Circles are not Squares" above the precept that God does as He pleases. If He pleases that a circle be a square than that circle is gonna be a square.
However, outside of the act of creation I'm beginning to see that perhaps there are some things God cannot do because they are against His nature. Still it bothers me to suppose that there is something I can do that God absolutely cannot (sin). Maybe it is more than God having Supreme Willpower not to sin. Perhaps sin is a purely human endeavor because it is trying to be like God. And somehow, according to His nature, God cannot try to become God. He already is. I'll now type out the entire paragraph that is shaping my view on this idea so you can judge for yourself. The basic jist is that all sin is derived from the first sin (trying to become like God):
For thus we see pride wearing the mask of high-spirtedness, although only Thou, O God, art high avove all. Ambition seeks honor and glory, whereas only thou shouldst be honored above all, and glorified forever. The powerful man seeks to be feared, because of his cruelty; but who ought really to be feared but God only? What can be forced away or withdrawn out of His power--when or where or whither or by whom? The enticements of the wonton claim the name of love; and yet nothing is more enticing than Thy love, nor is anything loved more healthfully than they truth, bright and beautiful above all. Curiosity prompts a desire for knowledge, whereas it is only thou who knowest all things supremely. Indeed, ignorance and foolishness themselves go masked under the names of simplicity and innocence; yet there is no being that has true simplicity like thine, and none as innocent as thou art. Thus it is that by a sinner's own deeds he is himself harmed. Human sloth pretendes to long for rest, but what sure rest is there save in the Lord? Luxury would fain be called plenty and abundance; but thou art the fullness and unfailing abundance of unfading joy. Prodigality presents a show of liberality; but thou art the most lavish giver of all good things. Envy contends that its aim is for excellence, but what is so excellent as thou? Fear recoils at the unfamiliar and the sudden changes which threaten things beloved, and is wary for its own security; but what can happen that is unfamiliar or sudden to thee? Or who can deprive thee of what thou lovest? Where, really, is there unshaken security, save with Thee? Grief languishes for things lost in which desire had taken delight, because it wills to have nothing taken from it, just as nothing can be taken from Thee.
Thus the soul commits fornication when she is turned from thee, and seeks apart from Thee what she cannot find pure and untainted until she returns to Thee. All things thus imitate Thee--but pervertedly--when they separate themselves far from thee and raise themselves up against Thee. But, even in this act of perverse imitation, they acknowledge Thee to be the Creator of all nature, and recognize that there is no place whither they can altogether separate themselves from Thee.
Talk amongst yourselves
I got St. Augustine's Confessions back in the Spring of 05 to read for my community group, but I just now started reading it. I feel like I missed out on a lot in that group by not keeping up with the reading and contributing to the discussions. Instead I just coasted (much like school). Yet it is pretty impressive how much I got out of that group despite my minimal input.
I'm a little surprised at how utterly readable the book is. Its basically St. Augustine's autobiography, but the twist is it's written as a prayer to God. This is a man who was brought up on philosophers and smartypants and all that stuff, but he still ended up a Christ follower, his intellect intact. In fact, apparently he is responsible for shaping many of the foundations of theology. I say shaping because the material was already there but he gave names to certain beliefs like original sin (although I suppose that's not a universally held belief among Christians).
In "Book One" he starts at the literal beginning of his life. How many autobiographies do you read where the writer laments that he can't remember his infancy? (I don't think I want to remember mine, infancy seems like an unpleasant experience when you think about it.) He says that from observing infants he can speculate that he was the same way. He sees that one baby cries for milk while another is being fed although that baby needs this milk to survive. So he doesn't care about the welfare of the other baby and this reveals a sin nature. I think that's the jist of it. Pretty interesting.
You know, actually there is way too much to write about here, so I'm just going to discuss two quotes:
Since Augustine is a philosopher he wants to try and come up with an explanation for everything (but who doesn't really?). He writes a few paragraphs about all the unimaginable things that God has done and will do, but he cannot fathom an explanation for how it is accomplished. Augustine's response to someone who does not understand: "Let him also rejoice and prefer to seek Thee, even if he fails to find an answer, rather than to seek an answer and not find Thee" I have so many questions and so many things I don't understand about this faith. I realize that seminary and years and years of studying will never answer all of my questions. But the faith is not about pursuit of an answer, it is about a pursuit of God, or more appropriately opening ourselves to God's pursuit of us.
If you look at my book there is at least one sentence underlined in every paragraph. This guy is very quotable. However, one paragraph stuck out to me as a whole. I have always bristled at any thought that starts with "God cannot" because there is nothing He cannot do. The idea that "God cannot make a circle a square" bothers me. Yeah, if he wanted to, He could rip apart the fabric of the time-space continuim and make circles squares and rocks apples and boys girls and trees guitars, but since He has decided the world should be this way He doesn't mess with it. For whatever reason, the way the world is and the way the world will be when it is redeemed is the way He decided is good. Otherwise, you are putting the law: "Circles are not Squares" above the precept that God does as He pleases. If He pleases that a circle be a square than that circle is gonna be a square.
However, outside of the act of creation I'm beginning to see that perhaps there are some things God cannot do because they are against His nature. Still it bothers me to suppose that there is something I can do that God absolutely cannot (sin). Maybe it is more than God having Supreme Willpower not to sin. Perhaps sin is a purely human endeavor because it is trying to be like God. And somehow, according to His nature, God cannot try to become God. He already is. I'll now type out the entire paragraph that is shaping my view on this idea so you can judge for yourself. The basic jist is that all sin is derived from the first sin (trying to become like God):
For thus we see pride wearing the mask of high-spirtedness, although only Thou, O God, art high avove all. Ambition seeks honor and glory, whereas only thou shouldst be honored above all, and glorified forever. The powerful man seeks to be feared, because of his cruelty; but who ought really to be feared but God only? What can be forced away or withdrawn out of His power--when or where or whither or by whom? The enticements of the wonton claim the name of love; and yet nothing is more enticing than Thy love, nor is anything loved more healthfully than they truth, bright and beautiful above all. Curiosity prompts a desire for knowledge, whereas it is only thou who knowest all things supremely. Indeed, ignorance and foolishness themselves go masked under the names of simplicity and innocence; yet there is no being that has true simplicity like thine, and none as innocent as thou art. Thus it is that by a sinner's own deeds he is himself harmed. Human sloth pretendes to long for rest, but what sure rest is there save in the Lord? Luxury would fain be called plenty and abundance; but thou art the fullness and unfailing abundance of unfading joy. Prodigality presents a show of liberality; but thou art the most lavish giver of all good things. Envy contends that its aim is for excellence, but what is so excellent as thou? Fear recoils at the unfamiliar and the sudden changes which threaten things beloved, and is wary for its own security; but what can happen that is unfamiliar or sudden to thee? Or who can deprive thee of what thou lovest? Where, really, is there unshaken security, save with Thee? Grief languishes for things lost in which desire had taken delight, because it wills to have nothing taken from it, just as nothing can be taken from Thee.
Thus the soul commits fornication when she is turned from thee, and seeks apart from Thee what she cannot find pure and untainted until she returns to Thee. All things thus imitate Thee--but pervertedly--when they separate themselves far from thee and raise themselves up against Thee. But, even in this act of perverse imitation, they acknowledge Thee to be the Creator of all nature, and recognize that there is no place whither they can altogether separate themselves from Thee.
Talk amongst yourselves
posted by hoose at 1:01 PM
2 Comments:
I too am reading Confessions right now. I am in the fourth book. I agree that it is both easy to read, and very quoteable. The thing that has hit me is the way Augustine talks about everything that he did apart from God as sinful. His studies, poetry, work, relationships, everything. This has helped me to try to develop a more God centered world view, and to consider God in everything I do. Please continue to post about this work.
What is sin but man's attempt to achieve the satisfaction of God's goodness and blessing apart from a relationship with the person of God.
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