Augustine's Hidden Truth
Throughout St. Augustine's Confessions the struggle of one man between the true path of God and his own personal (specifically sexual) desires are depicted. It is evident that Alypius is Augustine's closest friend when he resides in Milan. The events that occur to his dear friend Alypius in Book 6 Chapter VIII can be paralleled to Augustine's own journey towards enlightenment. The situation in this particular passage has a hidden meaning about Augustine's own insight towards an individuals' faith in God. Through a close reading of the text, it is clear that Augustine uses this excerpt to show that the only way to have courage strong enough to withstand the pressures of life is to put your faith in God. The passage from St. Augustine's Confessions Book 6 Chapter VIII, begins with Augustine describing how his friend Alypius felt about the gladiatorial shows that took place in Rome. Saying that he "...utterly detested th
When a group of Alypius' friends come along to take him to the Games, Alypius' first reaction is to resist. And when those friends manage to get him to go, Alypius states that, "Though there, I shall not be there, and so I shall defeat both you and it" (Book 6 Chapter VIII). Alypius is saying here, that although he might be physically in the arena he will not allow his mind's eye to fall into the gruesome battles. What Alypius doesn't realize, is that he doesn't have the strength, spiritually, to refrain from participating as a spectator at these games. As did Augustine's own best friend fail when he didn't put his full faith in God, so Augustine believes all will fail. That is probably the reason why it took Augustine so long to convert. Augustine believed that in order to receive the blessings of the Lord, in every aspect, he had to fully give himself to God. He believed that when he was ready to put all of his faith in God that he would h
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Approximate Word count = 646
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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