Fourth-century philosopher Augustine is well-known for being a devout Christian, and his “Confessions” work is a beloved piece of theological writing. However, he was not initially raised in a Christian household, and his own writings recounted him living a life dominated by physical pleasures. This is part of why it was so difficult for him to change his life and convert to Christianity; he valued his own personal pleasure very highly, despite being an idealist.
In addition, he was very logical, and for a long time he was unable to reconcile his logical beliefs with religion and Christianity. He studied religion, but was very critical of the Church as a whole, and this drove him first to Manicheanism, partly due to the freedom with which they criticized the Old Testament. Still, his desire for reason as well as faith meant that Manicheanism didn’t satisfy him either, and from there he began listening to the preachings of Ambrose, which began to open his mind up to Christianity. (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy).
However, it was Neoplatism that truly gave him a turning point in his life, but he still felt unsatisfied and was unable to stop himself from seeking personal pleasure. According to his writings, after a visit from Pontitianus, he was left feeling more conflicted than ever. He collapsed under a fig tree, crying, when he heard a voice telling him to “take up and read”. (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy). He took this as a kind of heavenly sign, and from there he found himself ready to try and give up his old life and start anew, even writing to Ambrose to ask for baptism. His reasons for returning to Christianity are satisfying, because he clearly was not happy with his previous life, and he found solace in the religion, and became a different – and in his opinion better – man as a result.
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. “Augustine”. http://www.iep.utm.edu/augustin/ N.d. Web.
