One of those "you had to be there" kind of things. If you weren't there, just pretend you are overhearing some out of context conversation, and dismiss it immediately.
Augustine's Confessions are not a spiritual autobiography. It is anachronistic to call it that, and an imposition of a modern category on an ancient work. Even the so-called autobiographical section is not so - Augustine starts with infancy in general, moves to his own life, and completes bk IX with an account of Monica's life and then her death. What moderns fail to understand is the Trinitarian structure of the work. [I-IX]; [X]; [XI-XIII]. Viewing it as autobiography will leave the reader puzzled as to the content of the last four books, and why they are included. Instead, we need to think of how the structure of the work reflects the whole argument presented. The first part deals with the doctrine of the Father, the second part deals with the doctrine of the Son, and the third part deals with the doctrine of the Spirit. And within each section there are triads built into the structure. Augustine is not talking about himself primarily - he is attempting to present an argument for the Trinity; by understanding the relationship of each section of the Confessions to the whole of the work, the reader grasps the nature of the development of Augustine's doctrine of the Trinity at this stage of Christian thought.
That being said, perhaps I need to add another category to my archives. Somehow "mildly theological" seems a bit of an understatement for this one...
Joseph,
In regards to The Confessions, which English translation/publication would you recommend, and for those of us lacking a good classical education, is there a commentary/guide/annotated version etc... that you would deem accurate and helpful?
Posted by: Passive Anglessive | February 01, 2005 at 08:37 PM
PA - there a few translations out there. Penguin has a standard one (which messes up a few sections but mostly ok), and a great read is in the Loeb series (based on Watts' trans from the 1600's) which has latin on the facing page so you can look at the left hand side and impress your friends and neighbours!. In the interest of promoting Canadians above all others, I'd recommend getting a copy of a commentary by Colin Starnes. He's a home grown boy who has a clear and very readable style and some of the most insightful stuff on Conf that I have seen.
blessings, J
Posted by: Joseph | February 02, 2005 at 11:00 PM