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Essay / Saint Augustine and his “Confessions”
St. Augustin was like us, a man. He lived the same life as me and you, had a family, money, a house, etc... St. Augustine accomplished a lot during his life, having traveled the world and becoming Bishop of Hippo , he has a lot of wisdom to share. When he wrote his book “Confessions,” what was the first thing that came to mind when you heard that word? Is this a good thing? Was it repentance? Well all of these answers are correct, he wrote this book as a profession of his sins. He could have written it as a bibliography, stating facts about his accomplishments and making it the story of his life, but instead he wrote this memoir, about his bad deeds and how they cost him dearly. Although it's unclear to the audience, we believe it was written for his children, but it could also serve to help others like him stuck on this spiritual journey. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Before taking on the role of Bishop, he was a normal man, living a normal life, and yes, he sinned like everyone else. Augustine was no ordinary bishop; he did not devote his life to religion like others before him. In the book, he writes about being subjugated by women, traveling the world, spending his money where he shouldn't have, and much more. He tries to tell people that it's okay to endure pain and accidents, he wants people to live life to the fullest. By failing, it is the first step to accepting yourself and moving towards a better future. For someone to accept defeat and learn from it, they must first experience everything. Don't worry about what other people think, he says, people are good at judging, but bad at correcting themselves. According to Augustine, faith and reason are necessary for each other to function. Unlike Lutheranism, Augustine encourages questions. As he reads, he says never take anything literally, Catholicism must be analytical. Now, this was a big step for humanity, and at the time of “Confessions”, we were approaching the fall of the Roman Empire. At the time, questioning sacred texts was almost a death call. You have been called a heretic, like Socrates. When he reads a text like the Bible, he first begins by analyzing it. Then he lays the foundation of his faith, then he uses reason to ask questions. Testing someone's faith means taking their beliefs and seeing if they can withstand challenge. Catholicism should be interpretive; God gave reason and free will as gifts. You must use faith to create the core beliefs and then ask yourself how they fit into life and the natural world. After your questioning, reflect and see if your beliefs have changed. The “Confessions” bring together faith and reason. He says humans are naturally curious and not all questions should be ignored. Having the power of free will means you are in control of your own life. You have the ability to say “no”. Just like the grip of temptation, having relationships with women was one of his passions, and although he wanted to tell the truth and live a virtuous life, he loved women so much. Reason can bring you out of turmoil, but faith can bring you out of turmoil. you go up. Accepting the consequences is the first step of many to get to heaven. Like Saint Augustine, before assuming the position of bishop, he lived a normal life, full of sin and love. He traveled the world, spent his money on.