Augustine’s Spiritual Mentoring and Manichaeism Essay

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“The influence of Manichaeism on Augustine of Hippo as a Spiritual Mentor” is Christine McCann’s publication investigating the way Manichaeism doctrines affected Augustine’s spiritual mentoring. McCann argues that Augustine’s encounter with Manichaeism had long-lasting impacts on his sensitivity to praise and pride. According to McCann (2009), Augustine disdained personal praises as he deemed them inappropriate and inaccurate, even rejecting the concept of being imitated and admired as a model. She posits that “the mentor is not the source of knowledge but simply an aid in the process of reading and understanding the Scriptures” (McCann, 2009, p.263). The author’s thesis is that a spiritual mentoring relationship should depart from enhancing one’s power, position, reputation, or influence but aid in the reading and understanding scriptural content.

McCann’s publication contains major arguments and refutations, which fortify the spiritual mentoring arrangements, anchored on extreme self-discipline and avoidance of any form of self-aggrandizement. The principal assertion is that discipleship and spiritual development through mentoring can be undermined and obstructed by deviations, such as predispositions towards personal praise. On the converse, the arrangement should seek to entrench a deeper focus on teachings compared to the mentor. Additionally, Augustine illustrates Manichaeans’ inability to deliver the right teachings as they have been diluted by untruths and inconsistencies, which renders them unreliable. She asserts that “Manichaeans’ own books contradict what he was told by other members of the group, and that this inconsistency shows the unreliability of their claims” (McCann, 2009, p.267). However, in determining the productivity of these arrangements, it is imperative that an assessment be conducted on the right candidates. For instance, Augustine could only obtain the truth from Faustus about the Elect (McCann, 2009). This publication implies that obsession with oneself and the promotion of self-importance subverts mentorship programs by redirecting focus to individuals rather than the teachings.

McCann’s work has various weaknesses, which undermine the application of his findings. For instance, Augustine’s obsession with winning arguments and the possible impacts on spiritual Christian aspirations were not comprehensively addressed. Additionally, the article does not provide definite Manichaean philosophies which disproportionately elevated Augustine’s sensitivity to praises and pride. However, McCann draws the comparisons with other publications and literature, which offers useful insights on the trajectory of spiritual mentorship. A prominent research question is the effect of the spiritual elitism on discipleship after Augustine’s challenge and teachings.

Reference

McCann, C. (2009). The influence of Manichaeism on Augustine of Hippo as a spiritual mentor. Cistercian Studies Quarterly, 44(3), 255-277.

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