Introduction
In Confessions by St. Augustine, we can follow the path which St. Augustine went through in his philosophical and religious views. “The work is a tour de force of confession, a highly intimate and often lyrical confession of praises and of thanksgiving, of sins, and of faith, by a mortal man speaking to his omnipotent and omniscient God” (Kotzé 197).
Content and Analysis
The second book starts from the desire of St. Augustine to recall of his memories from the past in order to recognize the rottenness of his past life once again and to love the God. He confesses that the passion rules his actions and that he sin a lot. “But, fool that I was, I foamed in my wickedness as the sea and, forsaking thee, followed the rushing of my own tide, and burst out of all thy bounds. But I did not escape thy scourges” (St. Augustine par. 5).
In the second book of Confessions, St. Augustine told us about his life when he was sixteen years old. At that time he did not recognize his mistakes and he achieved the understanding and recognitions of his actions later when he had adhered to Christianity.
In Chapter 5 of Book II, we get to know the reasons and consequences of people sins explained by St. Augustine on the examples of his own life. He also tells us that the God has forgiven his sins and rescued his soul.
“When, therefore, we inquire why a crime was committed, we do not accept the explanation unless it appears that there was the desire to obtain some of those values which we designate inferior, or else a fear of losing them. For truly they are beautiful and comely, though in comparison with the superior and celestial goods they are abject and contemptible” (St. Augusitine par. 15).
In Book VII, we see how long path St. Augustine has gone to become a Christian. In the search of the answers to his questions, he turned to Neo-Platonism and other philosophical movements. However, in Christianity, he obtained a real recognition of his life and actions.
In the first chapter, he mentions that his youth, which has been malicious and criminal, has come to the past, and he has entered in the mature age acquiring the life wisdom and true faith to God. The content of the seventh book gives us an understanding of how difficult it was for St. Augustine to repent sincerely and to become a true Christian.
In his search of the God, he analyzed his actions, his life, and his thoughts. In Chapter 7, he tells us how his minds and world perception has been changing. Eventually, he concludes that it is impossible to imagine something better that the God and the God is the highest virtue. He recognizes that as the God is the highest virtue, what the God wants and makes is also the highest virtue and the Word of the God is the highest value.
At this period of his life, although he was close to the Christian teachings, he mentioned that his thoughts were still unclear and he did not found the answers to all of his questions.
In Book IX, St. Augustine tells that his recognition of the God and the Christian values became deeper. The first chapter of the book starts from the quotes from the Psalms when the King David mentions that the God was the rescue to his soul.
Confessions from the Point of the Seven Dimensions of Religion
Ninian Smart, one of the outstanding religious scholars, introduced seven dimensions of religion. According to his seven dimensions model, the formation of any ideology of the religion can be described on the basis of the analysis of the formation and changing of the world perception.
Smart insisted that the religious experience was the starting point of any religion formation. From the standpoint of his theory, Confessions of St. Augustine represent the bright example of the religious experience role in the development of the stable religious beliefs and views. In particular, the doctrinal and philosophical dimension is clearly observed in the work of St. Augustine as he formulates his ideas and philosophical views coherently. Besides, the emotional and experimental dimension characterizes Confessions of St. Augustine.
This dimension implies the expression of the personal feelings and emotions in the process of search of the answers to the religious questions. St. Augustine not only states which view he has adhered to in the particular period of his life but also expresses which feelings he experienced at that time.
Conclusion
Confessions of St. Augustine represent an interesting theme for studying in the Religious Studies and Theology. From his work, it becomes clear how difficult way St. Augustine has gone through in his life to become spiritually mature personality with the stable religious views and the world perception.
His work is rather interesting in context of the analysis of the seven dimensions of religion suggested by Ninian Smart. The doctrinal and philosophical as well as experimental and emotional dimensions are clearly observed in his work.
Works Cited
Kotzé, Annemaré. Augustine’s Confessions: Communicative Purpose and Audience, Boston: Brill, 2004. Print.
St. Augustine n.d., Confessions. Web.