Augustine of Hippo is known to be the author of the “Confessions” – the unique masterpiece of Medieval literature. Therefore one may consider him the only character of the text, as well as his prototype. Saint Augustine was an early Christian theologian and philosopher from Numidia whose writings influenced the development of Western Christianity and Western philosophy. He developed his own approach to philosophy and theology, accommodating a variety of methods and perspectives. The “Confessions” , an unaffected autobiographical material of the saint, is honoured among his most important works. So, its reader has a great chance to get to know the highlight moments of his life and therefore find out lots of interesting facts about his traits and beliefs at different moments of Augustine’s way.
It is highly notable that the image of this character is really different whether one reads the beginning, the middle part or the end of the book, because the conversion to Christianity got Augustine to an incredible transformation. To sum up, we can observe his image from the point of view of his life before and after the baptizing.
“I used to be blind” – he says to conclude the sinful way Augustine had made before truth brought light to his life. An infant, he tended to satisfy his physical needs only:
“For then I knew but to suck; to repose in what pleased, and cry at what offended my flesh; nothing more”
Ensured he was to have a total control over his own life and destiny, he thought any of his decisions to be right, but the most meaningful were those which made him feel free. The young Augustine had no idea that was a completely false and illusory feeling. Once, pressured by peers and a wrong way of thoughts, he ventured to theft just to find that freedom. He did feel enlivened:
“To shake and rob this some of us wanton young fellows went, late one night, and carried away great loads, not to eat ourselves, but to fling to the very swine, having only eaten some of them; and to do this pleased us all the more because it was not permitted”
Nonetheless, Augustine made his step to God when he was quite young. The miserable and dissipated life was covered by an instable and lax mask called nothing but joy. It could bring a short-term flare of enthusiasm. Year by year, Augustine was becoming totally frustrated about everything he considered valuable – fame, passion, gluttony, and haughtiness:
“Welived seduced and seducing, deceived and deceiving, in divers lusts; openly, by sciences which they call liberal; secretly, with a false-named religion; here proud, there superstitious, every where vain. Here, hunting after the emptiness of popular praise, down even to theatrical applauses, and poetic prizes, and strives for grassy garlands, and the follies of shows, and the intemperance of desires. There, desiring to be cleansed from these defilements, by carrying food to those who were called "elect" and "holy," out of which, in the workhouse of their stomachs, they should forge for us Angels and Gods, by whom we might be cleansed”
The conversion to Christianity was the critical moment of absolute change in world outlook and perception of the character. From then on, he was righteous. Moreover, he accepted Lord’s Providence, sincerely repented of all his sins and found the true joy in faith and worship:
“Thanks be to Thee, my joy and my glory and my confidence, my God, thanks be to Thee for Thy gifts”
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