Access to God in Augustine's Confessions

Carl G. Vaught

Description

This is the final volume in Carl G. Vaught's groundbreaking trilogy reappraising Augustine's Confessions, a cornerstone of Western philosophy and one of the most influential works in the Christian tradition. Vaught offers a new interpretation of the philosopher as less Neoplatonic and more distinctively Christian than most interpreters have thought. In this book, he focuses on the most philosophical section of the Confessions and on how it relates to the previous, more autobiographical sections. A companion to the previous two volumes, which dealt with Books I–IX, this book can be read either in sequence with or independently of the others.

Books X–XIII of the Confessions begin after Augustine has become Bishop of Hippo and they are separated by more than ten years from the episodes recorded in the previous nine books of the text. This establishes the narrative in the present and speaks to the "believing sons of men." Augustine explores how memory, time, and creation make the journey toward God and the encounter with God possible. Vaught analyzes these conditions in order to unlock Augustine's solutions to familiar philosophical and theological problems. He also tackles the frequently discussed problem of the alleged disconnection between the earlier books and the last four books by showing how Augustine binds experience and reflection together.

Preface

Introduction

The Framework of the Enterprise
Unity and Separation in Augustine's Thinking
Speaking and Hearing as Primordial Phenomena
Problems of Access to the Text

1. The Nature of Memory (Book X)

The Meaning of Confession (10.1.1-10.6.7)
The Mind's Way to God (10.5.7-10.27.38)
Augustine's Spiritual Condition (10.28.39-10.41.66)
Christ, the Mediator (10.42.67-10.43.70)

2. The Problem of Time (Book XI)

Motives for Confession (11.1.1-11.2.4)
Creation and the Speaking Word (11.3.5-11.13.16)
What is Time? (11.14.17-11.20.26)
Measuring Temporality (11.21.27-11.27.36)
Memory, Apprehension, Expectation (11.28.37-11.28.38)
Stretched Out, Gathered Up, Stretching Forth (11.29.39-11.31.41)

3. The Hermeneutics of Creation (Books XII-XIII)

Form and the Abyss (12.1.1-12.13.16)
Augustine and His Critics (12.14.17-12.16.23)
Alternative Interpretations (12.17.24-12.22.31)
Meaning, Truth, and Infinite Richness (12.23.32-12.32.43)
Creation and the Trinity (13.1.1-13.11.12)
Figurative Interpretation (13.12.13-13.34.49)
The Telos of the New Creation (13.35.50-13.38.53)

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Philosophie de la religion
• Philosophie médiévale, scolastique
• Religion
• Christianisme
• Scolastique
• Philosophie médiévale
• Philosophie antique
• Philosophie médiévale
• Philosophie médiévale
• Medieval philosophy
• Catholic Church
• Philosophy of religion

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791483527
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Access to God in Augustine’sConfessions

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Access to God in Augustine’sConfessions

Books X–XIII

Carl G. Vaught

State University of New York Press

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2005 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address the State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207

Production by Michael Haggett Marketing by Michael Campochiaro

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Vaught, Carl G., 1939– Access to God in Augustine’s Confessions : books VII–IX / Carl G. Vaught. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-6409-1 (alk. paper) 1. Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo. Confessiones. Liber 7-9. 2. Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo. 3. Spirituality—History—Early church, ca. 30-600. 4. Christian saints—Algeria—Hippo (Extinct city)—Biography—History and criticism. I. Title.

BR65.A62V37 2004 270.2'092—dc22 [B]

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2004043451

For Lauren, Kristen, and Rebecca

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Contents

Preface Introduction The Framework of the Enterprise Unity and Separation in Augustine’s Thinking Speaking and Hearing as Primordial Phenomena Problems of Access to the Text 1. The Nature of Memory (Book X) The Meaning of Confession (10.1.1–10.5.7) The Mind’s Way to God (10.6.8–10.27.38) Augustine’s Spiritual Condition (10.28.39–10.41.66) Christ, the Mediator (10.42.67–10.43.70) 2. The Problem of Time (Book XI) Motives for Confession (11.1.1–11.2.4) Creation and the Speaking Word (11.3.5–11.13.16) What is Time? (11.14.17–11.20.26) Measuring Temporality (11.21.27–11.27.36) Memory, Apprehension, Expectation (11.28.37–11.28.38) Stretched Out, Gathered Up, Stretching Forth (11.29.39–11.31.41) 3. The Hermeneutics of Creation (Books XII–XIII) Form and the Abyss (12.1.1–12.13.16) Augustine and His Critics (12.14.17–12.16.23) Alternative Interpretations (12.17.24–12.22.31) Meaning, Truth, and Infinite Richness (12.23.32–12.32.43) Creation and the Trinity (13.1.1–13.11.12) Figurative Interpretation (13.12.13–13.34.49) The Telos of the New Creation (13.35.50–13.38.53) Notes Bibliography Index

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Preface

Augustine’sConfessionsis a fascinating book. The author begins by prais- ing the greatness of God, confesses his sins by writing an autobiography, and defends his faith by describing the conditions that make memory, temporal experience, and existential transformation possible. In each case, the dynamism of his discourse takes us beyond the surface of the text into the presence and absence of the one to whom he speaks. The richness of the language Augustine uses permits him to stand before God as a unique individual, and it enables him to make even the most theoretical issues accessible in the last four books of the text. The author comes to himself, not only by describing the story of his life in Books I–VI, and by giving an account of his encounter with God in Books VII–IX, but also by describing the conditions that make his transformation possible in Books X–XIII. How shall we respond to a book as rich and complex as this? What approach should we take? What questions should we ask? What answers should we expect? What purposes should undergird our inquiry? Without trying to answer these questions prematurely, at least this much should be clear from the outset: we cannot plunge into theConfessions without calling ourselves into question. Augustine speaks as a psychologist, a rheto- rician, a philosopher, and a theologian; but even in the so-called “theoreti- cal Books” of the text, he speaks most fundamentally from the heart. If we are unwilling to probe the depths of our souls, we will never under- stand Augustine; for he makes insistent demands that we trace out the path he has traveled in our own spiritual and intellectual development. No one undertakes a project of this kind alone, and I want to thank my students and colleagues who have participated in it and have helped make it possible. First, I express my gratitude to the students at Baylor who have attended my lectures and seminars about theConfessions, and two of whom have been my research assistants. Natalie Tapken prepared the notes for the book; and Christi Hemati assisted me with changes in

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