Lecture 5 Books VII and VIII

1
Lecture 5 Books VII and VIII

• Dr. Ann T. Orlando

2
Books VII and VIII

• Historical context
• Reading the Text
• Influence

3
Historical Context

• Platonism
• Theodicy (again)
• Christology
• Simplicianus and Victorinus
• St. Antony of Egypt
• Pauls Letter to Romans

4
Confessions Structure

• Augustine's Reflection on His Past
• Book I From God birth and relationship of
  infant with mother
• Book II Bondage of Flesh
• Book III Slavery of eyes and mind problem of
  evil
• Book IV Ambition of World
• Book V Encounter with Faustus, Manichaeism,
  philosophy moving from Carthage to Rome
• Book VI Recognition of emptiness of worlds
  ambition
• Book VII Freedom of mind resolution of problem
  of evil
• Book VIII Liberation from bondage of flesh
• Book IX Relation to Monica, her death, return to
  God
• Augustines Present
• Book X Memory
• Book XI Time
• Book XII Interpreting Scripture
• Book XIII Trinity and Church

5
Book VII Outline

• Gods nature VII.1.1 VII.2.3
• The nature of evil VII.3.4 VII.5.7
• Rejecting astrology VII.6.8 VII.6.10
• Moving toward the Church VII.7.11 VII.8.12
• Help from Platonists VII.9.13-VII.10.16
• Resolving the problem of evil VII.11.17
  VII.16.22
• What the Platonist lack Jesus Christ VII.17.23
  VII.21.27

6
Book VIII Outline

• Learning the Christian way from others VIII.1.1
  VIII.4.9
• Internal struggles of the will to follow the
  Truth VIII.5.10 VIII.5.12
• Example of St. Antony of Egypt VIII.6.13
  VIII.6.15
• More internal struggles VIII.7.16 VIII.12.28
• Take and Read VIII.12.29 VIII.12.30

7
Influence

• Definition of Evil
• Pelagins