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Confessions of St. Augustine Course
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Join Joe Moreshead as we dive into the world’s first autobiography, The Confessions of St. Augustine. St. Augustine strayed from the Catholic faith during his youth, getting caught up in academic ambitions, illicit love affairs and even cults. Step by step, God brought him back to the Church until he eventually became one of the Church’s greatest saints. By writing about his own life, St. Augustine helps us recognize God’s work in our own. Classes will meet every other week from September 19 through December 1. See the schedule below.
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Schedule
- 3-3:45 PM Saturdays at St. Gregory
- 9:30-10:15 AM Sundays at St. Jude
- 9-9:45 AM Tuesdays at Sacred Heart
- 6-6:45 PM Tuesdays at Holy Martyrs
Class 1- September 19, 20, or 22
Class 2- October 3, 4, or 6
Class 3 - October 17, 18, or 20
Class 4- October 31, November 1,or 3
Class 5- November 14, 15, or 17
Class 6- November 28, 29, or December 1
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Syllabus
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Green: Definitely read
Yellow: Try to read
Red: Optional
Book 1 (September 19, 20, 22)
1.1 – You have made us for yourself (This actually isn’t an easy section, but it’s quoted all the time, so it’s in the must read category.)
1.2-1.5 – Who are you, Lord, and who am I?
1.6-1.8 – Reflections on infancy
1.9-1.12 – School days
1.13-1.16 – Reflection on the merits of Greek literature
1.17-1.20 – School days continued
Books 2 and 3 (October 3, 4, 6)
2.1-2.4 – Adolescent struggles
2.5-2.10 – Reflection on stealing pears
3.1 – Illicit loves
3.2 – Reflections on the theater
3.3 – 3.6 Augustine falls in with the Manichees
3.7-3.10 – Reflection on Manichaen doctrines
3.11-3.12 – Monica prays for Augustine
Books 4 and 5 (October 17, 18, 20)
4.1-4.3 – Astrology
4.4– Death of a friend
4.5-4.12 – Reflections on grief
4.13-4.15 – Augustine writes a work on beauty
4.16 – Augustine reads Aristotle’s Categories
5.1-5.2 – Prayer to God
5.3-5.7 – Manichaeism vs. natural philosophy
5.8-5.14 – Augustine comes to Rome and Milan
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Books 6 and 7 (October 31, November 1, 3)
6.1-6.3 – St. Ambrose
6.4-6.6 – Augustine’s objections to the faith resolved; reflection on the beggar
6.7-6.16 – Friendships in Milan
7.1-7.21 – If God, whence evil?
Book 8 (November 14, 15, 17)
8.1-8.2 – The conversion of Victorinus
8.3-8.5 – Reflection on the conversion of Victorinus
8.6-8.8 – Challenged by monasticism
8.9-8.10 – Reflection on the divided will
8.11-8.12 – The decision
Book 9 (November 28, 29, December 1)
9.1-9.5 – Augustine retires
9.6-9.7 – Baptism at Milan
9.8-9.13 – The death of Monica
The story ends with book 9. Books 10-13 contained philosophical reflections by St. Augustine. If you are interested, please check them out, but we will not be covering them as a class.
We recommend using the Oxford World Classics edition translated by Henry Chadwick, but any translation will do. References in the syllabus are by book and chapter. In the Oxford World Classics edition, chapters are indicated by Roman numerals.
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Contact Us
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pothe.faithformationportlanddiocese.orgDirector of Faith Formation
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