Using Teachings of Augustine to Examine Life Essay

We who carry our mortality about with us, carry the evidence of our sin and with it the proof that you thwart the proud. (Augustine 39) This quote from the first book of Saint Augustines The Confessions is a reflection of how Augustine brought Pagan meaning to interpret Christianity as a part of his life. In fact, it has direct correlation to the Holy Bible in the first letter of Peter: God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (Peter 5:5) The parallel that lies between these two quotes is a manifestation of the parallel that lies between Augustine and Pauls theology. It is clear from readings that Augustine found Pauls theology to be a practical tool while examining his own life. Just as Augustine has utilized the†¦show more content†¦I had no regard for the person who would appease my desires; I only cared for myself. This condition of human-selfishness requires change in order for humans to turn out unselfish. Speaking in Augustinian terms: our concerns for ourselves must be redirected toward concerns for our God. As I had entered into my boyhood around the age of five or six, I noticed that my selfish human condition had grown and manifested itself into a more complex process. That urge to attain power and authority over people and things had grown stronger and more sophisticated. The desire I once had to benefit myself by crying as an infant grew into a desire to benefit myself by cheating and stealing as a young boy. One of my earliest memories as a boy is stealing from my families close friends. The part that troubles me most is the fact that I was fully aware of the healthy relationship that existed between my family and the family I stole from. The bag of quarters I stole from them was not out of hatred or vengeance; I stole because the thought of doing something illegal while getting away with it was too enticing to resist. 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