St. Augustine's book, Confessions, offers insight into the complexity of human nature and its relationship with religion. St. Augustine particularly struggles with the nature of his desires as he attempts to discover "truth" (Augustine 85). This quest for the realization of god and truth has been as common topic discussion throughout history; however, St. Augustine, who writes about his eventual conversion to Christianity, focuses on the problem of desire and its effects on mankind. Throughout his book, St. Augustine makes a compelling case that Christians must redirect their desires in order to undergo personal transformation.
St. Augustine alludes to his own struggles in order to portray the harmful nature of desire and its consequences. For example, St. Augustine confesses to having lied, cheated, and stole as a child because he was constantly searching for "pleasure, beauty, and truth... within [himself]" instead of within God (Augustine 40). Like many other children who lie and steal without intending malice, St. Augustine was a victim to his own desires. In fact, St. Augustine characterizes his youth as being plagued with "the sins of the flesh which defiled [his] soul" (Augustine 43). Another sin he describes is his past addiction to lust. St. Augustine admits that he was a "slave of his lust" (Augustine 131); even after St. Augustine had accepted Christianity, he delayed embracing it because of his own "bodily desires" (Augustine 43). Because St. Augustine indulged his desires, he was forced to deal with the complications it provoked. Although he does not write much about it, St. Augustine did have a child with his mistress whom he was forced to abandon. As St. Augustine describes his inner conflicts it becomes clear that the one sin, which influenced him the most, was lust. However, his weakness for lust is a common indulgence which most people understand and are often guilty of. By admitting to his sins, St. Augustine establishes common ground with his audience; thus, strengthening his credibility and the impact of his argument.
St. Augustine also discusses his spiritual growth in order to convince his readers that redirecting earthly desires, as Christians, will bring them personal transformations. The struggle he undergoes with his own sins emphasizes the transformation which he himself went through. Once St. Augustine decided to embrace Christianity and become an official Christian, he essentially reformed himself by redirecting his desires towards God. In fact, St. Augustine willingly gave up his addiction to lust; he "no longer desired a wife or placed any hope in this world but stood firmly upon the rule of faith" (Augustine 178). St. Augustine further emphasizes his reformation by recounting his revelation in the garden; upon reading a passage "confidence flooded into [his] heart and all the darkness of doubt was dispelled" (Augustine 178). St. Augustine's experience offers his reader encouragement and incentive to imitate him and trade their own lives of sin and error for lives of purity and devotion. In order to illustrate the impact of his transformation, St. Augustine provides two examples of his own reactions to death. The first death was that of his friend. This event sent St. Augustine spiraling into a deep depression in which he "lived in misery" (Augustine 77). However, the second death, the death of his mother occurred after St. Augustine had become a Christian. Although he did grieve for the loss of his mother, his reaction was much more controlled as his faith reassured and allowed him to find peace with the idea of death (Augustine 200-203) . These contrasting examples are used only to demonstrate St. Augustine's spiritual growth but also to represent the solace people can find if they turn towards Christianity and away from human desire.
Although St. Augustine is particularly biased toward Christianity, his lessons can be applied to people of all background and religious beliefs. In general, people, who do give themselves to a school of thought, are affected and changed by their experiences; like St. Augustine, these people often find solace and in their beliefs. St. Augustine simply offers his own trials and experiences as an example and promise of the solace, and transformation which he himself was able to find in Christianity.
Bibliography
Saint Augustine. Confessions. Edited by R.S. Pine-Coffin. London, England: Penguin Group, 1961.
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