Augustine Confessions

Augustine created a whole new field of autobiography in Confessions by studying what it means to really be a person. He discovered the idea of self that can be attained by self-presentation, which leads to self-realization. He also stated that a person has two minds, one good and one evil. If a person holds evil beliefs, they are evil themselves. In his confessions, Augustine tells the story of his own life and compares himself to a struggle of both the body and the soul to find happiness. His autobiography wasn’t meant to be as much for his readers as it was for God. The Confessions is a prayer and praise.
Book VIII of The Confessions is one of the most important passages that relates to the journey of self toward fullness. Augustine was very sick and he felt like his life wasn’t going anywhere. He didn't want to teach anymore. He was stuck between two forces, sexual and spiritual desire. In his writing, he distinctly shows his struggle and conveys the message that in order to be truly free one must understand the inner soul and let go of all other distractions. In his Milan garden, he came to a decision and that would end his struggle. While in his garden, Augustine was reading the letter of Saint Paul and when he read the thirteenth verse of the thirteenth chapter, he was amazed. By reading what Paul wrote about walking the path of Christ, Augustine chose to take Paul’s advice. Augustine said that he would give up sex, never marry, and live a spiritual life. He chose to become a Christian and receive baptism.
In The Confessions, Augustine constructs a theology of the self that is a broad view of the self in relation to God. His theology is influenced greatly by his conversion experience. Augustine states “Cast yourself upon God and have no fear. He will not shrink away and let you fall. Cast yourself upon him without fear, for he will welcome you and cure you of your ills,” (Matthews & Platt, 2011, pg. 175). This displays how much Augustine believes in God and that was one of the main reasons he decided to become a Christian. Also, he wanted to live a spiritual life and