Podcasts about augustine's confessions

Pastor Josiah and Ethan take a dive into the first of our Classic Christian Literature Overview series with a look at St. Augustine's Confessions, discussing the work, legacy and pronunciation of Augustine, and the influence of his work on modern-day Christendom.***Publisher's note: Sincerest apologies for the late upload!St. Augustine's ConfessionsTrade Coffee

What is freedom? If we are free, why do we feel anxiety? How do I relate to the world? Saint Augustine of Hippo asked himself these questions around 400 AD as he wrote Confessions—indeed, as he lived his life. At various points in his life, Augustine was a Manichaean, a Platonist, an academic, a father, and a thief. He was on a quest for truth, an understanding of himself as an individual and a human being. Augustine wrote this text in his forties when he was a bishop. Formally speaking, it is a prayer, a confession to God, but it also an extremely influential philosophical text and one of the earliest ever autobiographies. Columbia Professor Dhananjay Jagannathan discusses the huge existential questions that Augustine tackled and the conclusions he drew that have influenced modern philosophy. Dhananjay Jagannathan is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University. His research focuses on ancient Greek and Roman philosophy and the history of ethics, and he is currently writing a book on Aristotle’s moral epistemology. See more information on our website, WritLarge.fm. Follow us on Twitter @WritLargePod.

Today's episode is a recording of a talk given to our Patreon supporters on November 5, 2020 by Jared Henderson, host of the Matins podcast. The talk is titled "The Words of God and the Words of Men: Reading in St. Augustine's Confessions." To participate in these kinds of events in the future, join our Communion of Patreon Saints for only $5 a month! You can send your feedback and questions to thesacramentalists@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @sacramentalists. If you want to dive deeper and enjoy dialoguing with others about content on the Sacramentalists, check out our Facebook discussion group here.

This talk was given as part of the Thomistic Institute's Quarantine Lecture series. For more information on upcoming events, please visit our website: thomisticinstitute.org. About the speaker: Father Andrew Hofer, O.P., grew up as the youngest of ten children on a Kansas farm. He entered the Dominican Province of St. Joseph in 1995 and professed simple vows the following year. He made his profession of solemn vows in the Great Jubilee Year of 2000, and was ordained a deacon in 2001 and a priest in 2002. His assignments have included serving as a parochial vicar in Rhode Island, a missionary in Kenya, a doctoral student at the University of Notre Dame, a formator at the Dominican House of Studies, and a member of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception. He is finishing a book titled The Word in Our Flesh: A Return to Patristic Preaching, whose research the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship funded through its Teacher-Scholar Grant.

I continue St. Augustine's Confessions Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whydoesgodmatter https://www.facebook.com/whydoesgodmatter https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkL2lC_aneGuV9yOJA60ang https://www.instagram.com/whydoesgodmatter/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whydoesgodmatter/support

Going over St. Augustine's Confessions. One of the books that is giving me a better understanding of God. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whydoesgodmatter https://www.facebook.com/whydoesgodmatter https://www.instagram.com/whydoesgodmatter/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whydoesgodmatter/support

This lecture was given at Princeton University on February 15, 2020. For more events and info please visit https://thomisticinstitute.org/events-1. Prof. Erika Kidd is Associate Professor of Catholic Studies and the Director of the Masters in Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas. For more information on the masters program, please visit https://www.stthomas.edu/catholicstudies/masters/.

In this week's episode of Bookish @ Bethel, Philosophy Professor Carrie Peffley and History Professor AnneMarie Kooistra are joined by Bethel History Professor Sam Mulberry to discuss St. Augustine’s Confessions.

In this episode of "Destination: Sainthood" Catholic author, poet, and theologian Annabelle Moseley discusses St. Augustine and St. Francis of Assisi, with the theme of "The Garden and the Gardener" in scripture and in the journey to sainthood. The experience of conversion is discussed in light of Augustine's "Confessions." St. Francis of Assisi, "God's Troubadour," is fittingly honored through great music, poetry and prayer.

Augustine's Confessions In Our Time Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Augustine of Hippo's account of his conversion to Christianity and his life up to that point. Written c397AD, it has many elements of autobiography with his scrutiny of his earlier life, his long relationship with a concubine, his theft of pears as a child, his work as an orator and his embrace of other philosophies and Manichaeism. Significantly for the development of Christianity, he explores the idea of original sin in the context of his own experience. The work is often seen as an argument for his Roman Catholicism, a less powerful force where he was living in North Africa where another form of Christianity was dominant, Donatism. While Augustine retells many episodes from his own life, the greater strength of his Confessions has come to be seen as his examination of his own emotional development, and the growth of his soul. With Kate Cooper Professor of History at the University of London and Head of History at Royal Holloway Morwenna Ludlow Professor of Christian History and Theology at the University of Exeter and Martin Palmer Visiting Professor in Religion, History and Nature at the University of Winchester Producer: Simon Tillotson.

On this day we celebrate the feast day of Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons. We remember the death of Primoz Trubar, reformer, in 1586. Ou reading is from Augustine's "Confessions." We’re proud to be part of 1517 Podcasts, a network of shows dedicated to delivering Christ-centered content. Our podcasts cover a multitude of content, from Christian doctrine, apologetics, cultural engagement, and powerful preaching. Support the work of 1517 today.

"Tolle Lege, Tolle Lege. (Take up and Read)." "Lord give me chastity but not yet." These are some of the most famous lines from the Confessions and they come from book 8. This critical book gets a full hour and a half treatment from Trevor and Chad. We discuss what happens to the will when God unleashes it from sin and other really thorny topics. Hope you enjoy it!

Sorry for the long delay. We thought we uploaded this episode last month and we totally forgot. In this episode, Trevor and Chad discuss Augustine's exploration of the Neoplatonic doctrine that evil is the privation of the good. https://www.patreon.com/AHOCT

Here's the second hour for all you crazy folks who love Augustine and Neoplatonism. https://www.patreon.com/AHOCT

Augustine’s Confessions from beginning to end is a prayer to God. On every page, Augustine turns to God in prayer, whether in confession for past sins to praise for God's grandeur. Join us in this episode as we look at the various ways in which Augustine prays to God as he views his entire past life through the lens of God's care for him.   To comment on this show or provide feedback, please navigate to https://catholicheritagespirituality.com/episode9

At long last, we reach the end of our discussion of Augustine's *Confessions.*

Alastair, Matt and Derek consider Book 12 of Augustine's *Confessions,* in which Augustine parses 'In the beginning God created the heavens and earth...'

Derek, Matt and Alastair take up and read Book 11 of Augustine's *Confessions,* on time and the spiritual life.

Alastair, Matt and Derek take up Book 10 of Augustine's *Confessions.*

#33 Dr. Sarah Ruden; Augustine's Confessions by Wesley Seminary Podcast

Derek, Matt and Alastair read Book 9 of Augustine's Confessions together, which includes the vision at Ostia and the death of Monica.

Matt, Derek and Alastair read and discussion Book 8 of Augustine's *Confessions.*

Matt, Alastair and Derek consider book 7 of Augustine's Confessions.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Augustine of Hippo's account of his conversion to Christianity and his life up to that point. Written c397AD, it has many elements of autobiography with his scrutiny of his earlier life, his long relationship with a concubine, his theft of pears as a child, his work as an orator and his embrace of other philosophies and Manichaeism. Significantly for the development of Christianity, he explores the idea of original sin in the context of his own experience. The work is often seen as an argument for his Roman Catholicism, a less powerful force where he was living in North Africa where another form of Christianity was dominant, Donatism. While Augustine retells many episodes from his own life, the greater strength of his Confessions has come to be seen as his examination of his own emotional development, and the growth of his soul. With Kate Cooper Professor of History at the University of London and Head of History at Royal Holloway Morwenna Ludlow Professor of Christian History and Theology at the University of Exeter and Martin Palmer Visiting Professor in Religion, History and Nature at the University of Winchester Producer: Simon Tillotson.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Augustine of Hippo's account of his conversion to Christianity and his life up to that point. Written c397AD, it has many elements of autobiography with his scrutiny of his earlier life, his long relationship with a concubine, his theft of pears as a child, his work as an orator and his embrace of other philosophies and Manichaeism. Significantly for the development of Christianity, he explores the idea of original sin in the context of his own experience. The work is often seen as an argument for his Roman Catholicism, a less powerful force where he was living in North Africa where another form of Christianity was dominant, Donatism. While Augustine retells many episodes from his own life, the greater strength of his Confessions has come to be seen as his examination of his own emotional development, and the growth of his soul. With Kate Cooper Professor of History at the University of London and Head of History at Royal Holloway Morwenna Ludlow Professor of Christian History and Theology at the University of Exeter and Martin Palmer Visiting Professor in Religion, History and Nature at the University of Winchester Producer: Simon Tillotson.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Augustine of Hippo's account of his conversion to Christianity and his life up to that point. Written c397AD, it has many elements of autobiography with his scrutiny of his earlier life, his long relationship with a concubine, his theft of pears as a child, his work as an orator and his embrace of other philosophies and Manichaeism. Significantly for the development of Christianity, he explores the idea of original sin in the context of his own experience. The work is often seen as an argument for his Roman Catholicism, a less powerful force where he was living in North Africa where another form of Christianity was dominant, Donatism. While Augustine retells many episodes from his own life, the greater strength of his Confessions has come to be seen as his examination of his own emotional development, and the growth of his soul. With Kate Cooper Professor of History at the University of London and Head of History at Royal Holloway Morwenna Ludlow Professor of Christian History and Theology at the University of Exeter and Martin Palmer Visiting Professor in Religion, History and Nature at the University of Winchester Producer: Simon Tillotson.

Happy Noxonian Valentine's Day! Enjoy the swift punch, right in the feels, of Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered! Sam stresses the importance of consent, while Jordan tackles perverse desire in St. Augustine's Confessions! SEXY! PC Plugs: Sam - 90s movie marathon: Good Burger Newsies Jordan - Listen Up A-Holes Podcast (with Lani Diane Rich) One Day at a Time on Netflix Tyler Huckabee on Twitter If you enjoy our show, find us on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, subscribe, and leave a review! Find us @prophecyguys, @jordanmagill, @samkoekkoek

Derek, Matt and Alastair consider astrology, beauty, and other themes from Book IV of Augustine's *Confessions.*

Matt, Derek and Alastair take up Book 3 of Augustine's Confessions.

Matt, Alastair and Derek consider Book 2 of Augustine's *Confessions.*

Derek, Alastair and Matt take up and read Book I of Augustine's *Confessions.*

Explore the genre of Jeremiah’s laments. C. Westermann states in Basic Forms of Prophetic Speech, ". . . another way of formulating an announcement of judgment which powerfully depicts the moment of the irrevocable when judgment is proclaimed over Israel." Consider the mode of prophetic expression in which the humanity of the prophet is exhibited. Classic prophetic laments are found in Amos 5:1-3 and Jeremiah 9:16-21. In Amos 5:1-3 we read, “Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel: ‘Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel; forsaken on her land, with none to raise her up.’ For thus says the Lord God: ‘The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.’” Explore Jeremiah's development of this genre over Israel as found in Jeremiah 2:31f, 8:4-7, 18-23, 9:9, 10:19f, 13:18f, and 13:23. Jeremiah develops this genre in the Lord over his land as found in Jeremiah 1:31f, 12:7-13, 15:5-9, 18:13-17. It is also found in Isaiah 1:2-3, “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: ‘Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.’” Consider Jeremiah's personal laments in chapters 11-20 passim. Jeremiah's Laments are also considered "confessions" and are akin to Augustine's Confessions. They contain vacillating moods, trying circumstances, and a dialogue with God. Jeremiah's laments also become inscripturation or part of the divine message. Skinner (1922) relates in his personal journal that there was “danger that Jeremiah would have been advocating something at a national level he had experienced at a personal level.” Consider the value of Jeremiah's psychology and personality and the danger of it creating a barrier. von Rad (1983) considered Jeremiah’s laments as stylized, conformed to the genre, and not personal but related to ministry. Berridge (1970) considered his laments public, therefore part of his proclamation and were "general validity transcending his experience."

Jim O’Donnell - Libraries as Showcase, Showplace and Showroom On today’s episode we talk with Jim O’Donnell about the ongoing renovations of the Hayden Library on the campus of Arizona State University, and their goal to make the library a showcase, showplace and showroom for ASU students. Jim also shares his thoughts on taking inspiration from the world of retail to shape the future of academic libraries. We had several challenges to deal with in the production of this week’s show. The first of which was carving time out of Jim O’Donnell’s busy schedule. Jim had just returned from the 19th Annual Fiesole Collection Development Retreat in Lille, France the day before. This was the same conference that Leah Hinds attended as representative for Against The Grain. Due to the time difference between us on the east coast and Arizona State University, Jim started what was to become a very busy week for him by speaking with us at 7:30 in the morning his time. The other challenge involved the ever-present complexities of conducting remote interviews using the Internet. Each participant in today’s discussion was in a different location as usual, and between intermittent Internet connection dropouts and some occasional noise coming from Jim O’Donnell’s headset, our audio quality suffered a bit at times. Sound issues aside however, Dr. O’Donnell provided us with excellent insights we’ve come to expect from him. Our interviewer’s today are Tom Gilson, Associate Editor of Against The Grain; and Katina Strauch, Editor in Chief of Against the Grain and founder of the Charleston Conference. Dr. O’Donnell received his bachelor of arts degree at Princeton and doctorate from Yale. He served as provost and professor of classics at Georgetown University for a decade, after a career at Bryn Mawr, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania where he served as Vice Provost for Information Systems and Computing. He is a fellow of the Medieval Academy of America and served as president of the American Philological Association. He now chairs the board of directors of the American Council of Learned Societies. Dr. O’Donnell was a pioneer in the scholarly study of late antiquity. His edition of Augustine's *Confessions* is a standard, while his most recent books, Augustine: A New Biography, The Ruin of the Roman Empire, and Pagans bring cutting-edge scholarship to a wide audience. Dr. O’Donnell is also recognized as an innovator in the application of networked information technology in higher education having authored the book Avatars of the Word: From Papyrus to Cyberspace. In 1990, he co-founded the Bryn Mawr Classical Review, the second on-line scholarly journal in the humanities ever created. In 1994, he taught an Internet-based seminar on the work of Augustine of Hippo that reached 500 students which deserves to be called the first MOOC. Currently, he is leading Arizona State University library through a reorganization process that includes a multimillion dollar renovation of the main Hayden library. As one of his colleagues has so aptly put it “Jim O'Donnell is both a brilliant scholar and a visionary about the future of information. He knows how to put together leadership teams, even as he thinks creatively about the nature of knowledge for students, researchers and the community.”  

The Evolution of E-Books As we all know, the advent of the ebook have had a profound impact on libraries. What started as very tentative steps with NetLibrary at the turn of the millennium – this seems like a lifetime ago! - has rapidly evolved with the integration of digital content and services in libraries. The evolution from print to online has been a rocky and complicated journey, unlike the relatively smooth transition from print to online format for journals. Much has been written and said about the challenges and opportunities resulting from the ebook. Major challenges include ownership, preservation, discovery, accessibility, licensing and acquisition models, and usability. It’s time to take a step back and look at the remarkable evolution of the ebook – where have we come from, where are we today, and most importantly, where do we want the adoption or integration of ebooks to lead us? What does this mean for the iconic role of the monograph in libraries and in particular for the success of our students and faculty? Looking back can help us better understand the odyssey of the road ahead. What are the main drivers, challenges, and opportunities? Our panelists have significant and varying experiences with ebooks in libraries and they will bring us their insights and analyses. They will address various issues and challenges, guided by the questions below. Historical Perspective of eBooks: How have eBooks changed over time? What is your perspective on the evolution of the eBook? What do you like and/or don’t like? The Future of eBooks: What new developments are on the horizon? What are the latest models emerging? Will these changes meet the needs of students in higher education? What are the implications for academic libraries/students/educators? Impact: How will eBook reading impact literacy, reading, and learning in today’s world? Will this affect academic collection development? What philosophical challenges are posed as academic libraries embrace eBook collection development? Tony Horava (Moderator)- University of Ottawa, AUL Collections, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada I've been involved in Collections work for many years, and have seen remarkable transformations over the years. The challenges around ebooks, licensing, budgets, consortial strategies, new forms of knowledge and scholarly communications spring to mind. Reading in the digital age fascinates me - it is such a sea-change. The Charleston Conference is always energizing. I look forward to connecting with many people and hearing new ideas and innovative strategies on the various challenges we face. James O'Donnell - Arizona State University Libraries, University Librarian & Professor James J. O'Donnell is the University Librarian at ASU Libraries.He has published widely on the history and culture of the late antique Mediterranean world and is a recognized innovator in the application of networked information technology in higher education. In 1990, he co-founded Bryn Mawr Classical Review, the second on-line scholarly journal in the humanities ever created. In 1994, he taught an Internet-based seminar on the work of Augustine of Hippo that reached 500 students which deserves to be called the first MOOC. He has served as a Director, as Vice President for Publications, and as President of the American Philological Association; he has also served as a Councillor of the Medieval Academy of America and has been elected a Fellow of the Medieval Academy. He serves as Chair of the Board of the American Council of Learned Societies. His edition of Augustine's *Confessions* is a standard, while his most recent books, Augustine: A New Biography, The Ruin of the Roman Empire, and Pagans bring cutting-edge scholarship to a wide audience. His work of most relevance to issues of libraries today and tomorrow may be found in his 1998 book, Avatars of the Word: From Papyrus to Cyberspace. David Durant - East Carolina University, Federal Documents and Social Sciences Librarian My professional interests focus on the importance of preserving and ensuring access to legacy print collections in the digital library environment. This is an especially pressing issue in federal documents, where my institution is a member of the ASERL Collaborative Federal Documents Program, but also for broader monographic collections as well. I'm also interested in the ways in which technology is altering the ways in which we read and think, and the broader societal implications of these changes. Mitchell Davis - Bibliolabs CFO Mitchell Davis is a publishing and media entrepreneur. He was the founder in 2000 of BookSurge the world’s first integrated global print-on-demand and publishing services company (sold to Amazon.com in 2005 and re-branded as CreateSpace). Since 2008 he has been founder & chief business officer of BiblioLabs -- the creators of BiblioBoard. BiblioBoard is an award-winning App and web content delivery system that makes community engagement tools and simultaneous use content available to public, school and academic libraries. Today they work with thousands of libraries and publishers around the world in pursuit of a new vision for the future of libraries. He is also an indie producer and publisher who has created several award winning indie books and documentary films over the past decade through Organic Process Productions, a small philanthropic media company he founded with his wife Farrah Hoffmire in 2005. Mentioned in the presentation: www.authorearnings.com www.against-the-grain.com www.atgthepodcast.com www.charlestonlibraryconference.com  

Our passage from the Word of God today is Luke 1:63 which reads: "And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all." Our quote today is from Ezra Pound. He said: "Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree." In this podcast, we are using as our texts: "Literature and Spirituality" by Yaw Adu-Gyamfi and Mark Ray Schmidt, and "Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing" by X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Our first topic for today is "Spirituality as Quest, Part 21" from the book, "Literature and Spirituality" by Yaw Adu-Gyamfi and Mark Ray Schmidt. Today, we will continue reading a selection from Augustine's "Confessions." This selection is from Book I - Childhood / Chapter 6 - The Infant Augustine Still, dust and ashes as I am, allow me to speak before thy mercy. Allow me to speak, for, behold, it is to thy mercy that I speak and not to a man who scorns me. Yet perhaps even thou mightest scorn me; but when thou dost turn and attend to me, thou wilt have mercy upon me. For what do I wish to say, O Lord my God, but that I know not whence I came hither into this life-in-death. Or should I call it death-in-life? I do not know. And yet the consolations of thy mercy have sustained me from the very beginning, as I have heard from my fleshly parents, from whom and in whom thou didst form me in time - for I cannot myself remember. Thus even though they sustained me by the consolation of woman’s milk, neither my mother nor my nurses filled their own breasts but thou, through them, didst give me the food of infancy according to thy ordinance and thy bounty which underlie all things... ... Our second topic for today is "Reading a Story, Part 25" from the book, "Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing" by X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Today, we will continue taking a look at How Much Does a Narrator Know? In the objective point of view, the narrator does not enter the mind of any character but describes events from the outside. Telling us what people say and how their faces look, he or she leaves us to infer their thoughts and feelings. So inconspicuous is the narrator that this point of view has been called "the fly on the wall." This metaphor assumes the existence of a fly with a highly discriminating gaze, who knows which details to look for to communicate the deepest meaning. Some critics would say that in the objective point of view, the narrator disappears altogether. Consider this passage by a writer famous for remaining objective, Dashiell Hammett, in his mystery novel The Maltese Falcon, describing his private detective Sam Spade. ...

Our passage from the Word of God today is 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 which reads: "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart." Our quote today is from W. H. Auden. He said: "A real book is not one that’s read, but one that reads us." In this podcast, we are using as our texts: "Literature and Spirituality" by Yaw Adu-Gyamfi and Mark Ray Schmidt, and "Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing" by X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Our first topic for today is "Spirituality as Quest, Part 20" from the book, "Literature and Spirituality" by Yaw Adu-Gyamfi and Mark Ray Schmidt. Today, we will continue reading a selection from Augustine's "Confessions." This selection is from Book I - Childhood / Chapter 5 - Augustine's Prayer Who shall bring me to rest in thee? Who will send thee into my heart so to overwhelm it that my sins shall be blotted out and I may embrace thee, my only good? What art thou to me? Have mercy that I may speak. What am I to thee that thou shouldst command me to love thee, and if I do it not, art angry and threatenest vast misery? Is it, then, a trifling sorrow not to love thee? It is not so to me. Tell me, by thy mercy, O Lord, my God, what thou art to me. “Say to my soul, I am your salvation." So speak that I may hear. Behold, the ears of my heart are before thee, O Lord; open them and “say to my soul, I am your salvation.” I will hasten after that voice, and I will lay hold upon thee. Hide not thy face from me. Even if I die, let me see thy face lest I die. ... Our second topic for today is "Reading a Story, Part 23" from the book, "Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing" by X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Today, we're taking a look at How Much Does a Narrator Know? The all-knowing (or omniscient) narrator sees into the minds of all (or some) characters, moving when necessary from one to another. This is the point of view in "Godfather Death," in which the narrator knows the feelings and motives of the father, of the doctor, and even of Death himself. Since he adds an occasional comment or opinion, this narrator may be said also to show editorial omniscience (as we can tell from his disapproving remark that the doctor "should have remembered" and his observation the the father did not understand "how wisely God shares our wealth and poverty"). A narrator who shows impartial omniscience presents the thoughts and actions of the characters, but does not judge them or comment on them. ...

Our passage from the Word of God today is Revelation 1:3 which reads: "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand."   Our quote today is from Gustave Flaubert. He said: "An author in his book must be like God in His universe, present everywhere and visible nowhere."   Our first topic for today is "Spirituality as Quest, Part 17" from the book, "Literature and Spirituality" by Yaw Adu-Gyamfi and Mark Ray Schmidt.   Today, we're taking a brief look at Augustine.   Augustine (354-430) lived during the decline of the Roman Empire. His pagan father ensured that Augustine received an excellent education. Beyond this fact, his father's influence on Augustine seems to have been marginal. However, his mother's influence was very powerful. She was a Christian who over the years, became very strong in her faith. Perhaps her spiritual growth can be linked to her prayerful struggles with God over the destiny of her rebellious and confused son. Born and educated in northern Africa, Augustine eventually taught rhetoric (effective speaking and critical thinking) in Rome and Milan, Italy. After his conversion to Christianity, he returned to North Africa and served as an influential bishop and a defender of orthodox Christian doctrines.   ...   Our second topic for today is "Reading a Story, Part 21" from the book, "Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing" by X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia.   Today, we're taking a look at Point of View.   In the opening lines of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain takes care to separate himself from the leading character, who is to tell his own story. It begins: "You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but that ain't no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly."   Twain wrote the novel, but the narrator or speaker is Huck Finn, a fictional character who supposedly tells the story. Obviously, in Huckleberry Finn, the narrator of the story is not the same person as the "real-life" author. In employing Huck as his narrator, Twain selects a special angle of vision: not his own, exactly, but that of a resourceful boy moving through the thick of events, with a mind at times shrewd, at other times innocent. Through Huck's eyes, Twain takes in certain scenes, actions, and characters and - as only Huck's angle of vision could have enabled Twain to do so well - records them memorably.   ...

Today we're asking what is time, and we're looking at blessed Augustine's Confessions, which features one of the most famous reflections on the philosophy of time. Augustine is trying to solve the "problem of time": why is creation temporal if it comes from an eternal God? Tune in to see if he resolves his dilemma!

Augustine's Confessions is written as a prayer. Augustine had a clear recognition that he was a new man in Christ. There is a perennial quarrel over the understanding of the nature of man. Is man so corrupted that he needs a complete and total transformation by God or is he only affected by sin and able to reason his way to faith? Consider the five points of Calvinism - total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. Both Luther and Augustine wrestled with their own carnality. Through the struggle of celibacy, Augustine realized his will was not free - it was in bondage.

In the Confessions Augustine weaves autobiography with reflections on the nature of God, man, and time.