Augustine's Conversion
Augustine's conversion, like many other important historical events, did not happen all at once nor as the result of a single event. Rather, Augustine's conversion to Christianity was the result of several major life events. Specifically, there were five stages to his conversion, along with another pushing ongoing factor. The five major stages were 1) the reading of Hortensius by Cicero; 2) his rejection of Manichaeanism; 3) his meeting with St. Ambrose; 4) his reading of Neoplatonist works; and 5) Augustine's vision. All of these stages were also accented by the ongoing factor of Augustine's mother's influence as a pious Christian.It is important to note that Augustine's conversion to Christianity was not the just the result of events in his later life. His Christian influences began upon his birth to his Catholic mother. "And I was signed with the sign of His Cross and seasoned with his salt as I came new from the womb of my mother, who had great trust in You." (pg.11) Though his father was a pagan, he did little to nothing to influence his son away from the teachings of Christianity. Rather, his mother held the main religious influence over him and he admits in regards to that, "I then believed..." (p
He now wishes to chase after wisdom and the knowledge of who God is and how one can achieve closeness with Him. Augustine is impressed with the bishop and delighted with his new discovery of the deeper layers of the Bible. Jesus was not flesh and blood, they claimed, but a "light-man" that emanated from God's divine being. " Augustine was sitting in a garden in Milan with a friend. These writings teach about Classical philosophy and its views on religion; such as God, souls, and good and evil. This instills a whole new set of ideals and goals within Augustine. The Manichees secret knowledge was the location of special sparks of divine light from the Heavens, kidnapped by the evil forces when the world was created, trapped in the evil materialistic world. The next important stage in Augustine's conversion was when he began reading the works of the Neoplatonists, with strong emphasis on the works of Plotinus. Already his interest in Astronomy was starting to increase and he realized that the Manichees' astronomical predictions were starting to be inaccurate. This experience clearly makes a change in his life. 12) Parents are known to be highly influential in their children's lives. " This is a direct reference to the personal battle Augustine was fighting with his own sensual urges. Manichees would digest the food, releasing the sparks into their bodies, which would then return to Heaven once they were "saved.
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Acceptance Essays
