Conversion in Saint Augustine's Confessions - Essay Example

Angeline Yunita THST 198 Prof. Matthew Pereira November 3, Essay #2 Conversion in Saint Augustines Confessions I. Introduction The Confessions of Augustine narrates the events leading up to his conversion. Augustine was influenced by many factors throughout his life leading to his Christian baptism. Some of the significant factors that influenced Augustine were Neo-Platonism, the death of a dear friend, and his reading of Cicero’s Hortensius. As the story progresses, the reader understands how strongly Augustine is attached to his mother, who enlightens him to be converted to Christianity. In this paper, I will argue that Monica (Augustine’s mother) is the most important force behind his conversion. First, Monica’s outstanding obedience to her husband influenced Augustines conversion. Second, Monica introduced her son to Ambrose, who would later baptize him. Finally, Monica compelled and encouraged Augustine to attend school that shaped his life and would culminate in him becoming a priest. II. Monica as a Faithful Wife Monica played a significant role in the conversion of Patricius (Augustine’s father) and Augustine. Initially, both Patricius and Augustine were not believing in Christ but finally were saved through the influence of Monica. Monica prayed to God on behalf of her husband’s soul and Augustine. Augustine recounted that Monica, “With a pure heart and faith in you she even more lovingly travailed in labor for my eternal salvation.”1 This follows that Monica vowed not to stop at nothing but to see a Catholic Christian Augustine. The mother took time praying and laboring while serving the Lord so as to send grace upon his son and get saved. Augustine wonders how his parents lived harmoniously with each other. Monica was a God fearing individual and served her husband as her lord with care to her children. Her virtuous traits bear witness to the Christian life, which make a strong impression on Augustine. She significantly inspires Augustine to grow as a God fearing individual ultimately leading to his Christian conversion. My physical mother was distraught. With a pure hear and faith in you she even more lovingly travailed in labor for my eternal salvation. She hastily made arrangements for me to be initiated and washed in the sacraments of salvation, confessing you, Lord Jesus, for remission of sins. But suddenly I recovered. My cleansing was deferred on the assumption that, if I lived, I would be sure to soil myself; and after that solemn washing the quilt would be greater and more dangerous if then defiled myself with sins2. From the block quote above, we further realize how Monica was determined to ensure his son did not die a sinner. She stood her grounds even when the son was sick so as to make him be saved and cleansed so that she could enjoy the eternal life. Monica is a good fearing mother and always wanted a Christian family. The quote is worth supporting the fact that she was the most influential person to Augustine’s exposure to the Lord. From his (Augustine’s) birth to her (Monica’s) death, Monica was the most significant person throughout Augustine’s life. Augustine asserts, “When I was a boy, I had heard about eternal life promised to us through the humility of our Lord God. Coming down to our pride, and I was already sighed with the sigh of the cross and seasoned with salt from the time I came from my mother’s womb.”3 From this quote, we realize that it was the mother that firstly drew Augustine’s attentions towards the Lord. This is because Monica being a faithful wife and a saved individual, she had to start grooming her son so as to follow her steps in Christianity. Augustine thus had the best teacher and motivator to know all about God both through his mother’s outstanding deeds as well as through her pieces of advice she offered to Augustine. Monica became so amiable to Augustine’s father and vowed never to have a quarrel with her husband. Monica cared for her family, husband and in a merciful manner she submitted to God. Augustine also asserts that, "she anxiously labored to convince me that you, my God, were my father rather than he, and in this endeavor you helped her to gain victory over her husband.”4 From this quote, it is justified that Monica was determined to help her son become a convert. Monica help Augustine realized that despite his physical father being unsaved, she ensured that Augustine was not attracted to his father and since Monica wanted a saved Augustine. She therefore, ensured that Augustine realized that God was the main father and not Patricius. III. Monica & Ambrose: Turning Point in Augustine’s Conversion Monica’s determination towards her son’s salvation is evidenced in her introducing Augustine to Ambrose, the bishop of Milan. Augustine had relocated with his brother to Millan. Prior to his arrival in Milan, Augustine was influenced by the Manichees, who brought a lot of challenges to the truth of the Old Testament. Monica was not supportive of the Manichean influence over her son. Augustine’s movement to Millan was also informed by the dishonesty amongst the students at Carthage. Augustine met Bishop Ambrose in Milan. This meeting with Ambrose would positively change Augustine. Monica’s close friendship with Ambrose was an important factor that led the bishop of Milan to care for Augustine. She feared Augustines faith would shutter if he had to stay in Millan by himself. Ambrose knew of Augustine’s involvement in Manichaeism. At Millan, Augustine had come under the influence of Ambrose though his preaching, which led to his leaving Manichaeism but not yet converting to Christianity. Monica and Ambrose worked together to bring about Augustine’s conversion. Monica became a model of excellence amongst the women in Milan through every charitable work as well as her devotion, which together made the Bishop hold her in the highest regard. Ambrose convinced Monica to relinquish some ancient pagan practices such as carrying food to the martyrs’ tomb. Monica and Ambrose introduced Augustine as a catechumen to prepare him for his baptism. Chadwick observes that, “Through all his wanderings he discerned in retrospective the watchful hand of an unseen guardian, whose protection had been invoked upon him by Monica when he was still a baby, he was made as catechumen.” From this quote, we realize that through Monica’s prayers, God had taken care of his son and guarded him through his activities. This further reveals how influential Monica’s prayers were to Augustine life as well as his conversion. Monica’s friendship with Ambrose helped lead to Augustine’s baptism. Augustine’s convictions to Christianity increased as he learned a different approach to the Scriptures through listening to the sermons of Ambrose. These sermons demonstrated the allegorical (also know as the metaphorical or spiritual) approach to reading Scriptures. Augustine learned how to interpret the Bible based on Monica’s introduction to Ambrose. He observed through Ambrose’s discourses in the pulpit, a presentation of Christian theology combining aversion from Pagan religion blending well with Neoplatonism. Plotinus encouraged Augustine’s quest for a union of his soul with God following Ambrose’s Neoplatonist teachings. IV. Monica and the Education of Augustine Monica compelled Augustine to go to school despite the fact that he never attached any significance to his education during his boyhood. He asserts that, “I was next sent to school to learn to read and write. Poor wretch, I did not understand for what such knowledge is useful.”5 From this quote, we realized that Monica was responsible toward Augustine’s education as she had projected how significantly it would be towards reading and interpreting the bible to be convicted to Christianity. We realize that it was not Augustine’s own intentions to school as he never saw any sense against his mother push for education. Monica compelled him to go to Carthage in order to prepare for serving the Lord by knowing how to read and interpret the Bible. He was later taken to Carthage at age sixteen, from where his need for conversion was further made strong through reading Cicero’s Hortensius. This reading inspired Augustine to seek after and spread the truth. Augustine described how he was compelled to learn despite his opposition to education. He prayed to God not to be caned. He realized that he was asking for a “foolishness” from God not to be caned as he later recognized the significance of education towards his conversion. The parents approved his punishments at school. They would laugh at him when he was caned and asking God to spare him. Augustine recalls that “Adult people, including my parents, who wished no evil to come upon me, used at my stripes, which were at that time a great and painful evil to me.”6 From this quote we realize that Monica wished no evil to her son by being taken to school but would encourage him so as to use that knowledge to shape his conversion to Christianity on reading and interpreting the Bible. His later realization that is was his fault not to have paid attention to reading books justified the significance of his mother to have compelled him. He prayed. “Lord my God, I sinned by not doing as I was told by my parents and teachers. For later I was able to make good use of letters, whatever might be the intention of my adult guardians in wanting me to learn.”7 The realization of his sins while at schools made him developed a strong conviction to be a convert. It is Monica that ensured he was in schools as this had future impacts in his conversion and confessions. V. Conclusion In conclusion, Monica having transcended from a Christian family prayed to God for a Christian family and was determined to achieve this. She stopped at nothing but to convince his lukewarm Patricius and Augustine to be converts. She achieved her goal by having Augustine baptized in Millan by Ambrose and his father getting saved before his death. This is shown through her determination to compel Augustine to go School and act morally as this would be instrumental towards her quest for a saved son based on ability to read and interpret the Bible. It is through knowledge Augustine gathered from school that made him able to meet and listen to Bishop Ambrose and realized the massive convictions in his discourses that inspired him further. In addition, Monica’s faithfulness and obedience in her family played a pivotal role towards Augustine’s conversion. She ensured she acted morally and submitted to her husband that made Augustine to attach such outstanding features to God-given and hence imitated his mother and never swayed to follow his unsaved father. Finally, Monica friendship with Bishop Ambrose was the major turning points towards Augustine’s conversion. Through her, The Bishop groomed and baptized Augustine that would mark Augustine’s confessions. Bibliography Henry, Chadwick. 2009. Confessions: Oxford World’s Classics. Paperback. Press. Read More