St. Augustine's Confessions

William R. Cook & Ronald B. Herzman

Book 0 of The Great Courses

Language: English

Publisher: The Great Courses

Published: Jan 1, 2004

Collection: Nonfiction
Reading Ease: 92.74
Genre: Lecture
Topic: Christian, Literature
Word Count: 25745

Description:

How should parents raise children, and how should schools educate children? Why are we attracted to things that are forbidden? What is time? How can we understand God, or the nature of evil? What is true friendship? To answer these questions, Professors Cook and Herzman look to the Confessions of St. Augustine of Hippo. Over the course of 24 fascinating lectures, you'll study this great book's staggering influence on Christianity and Western civilization, seeing how it provided a source of inspiration for such noted thinkers and writers as Petrarch, Dante, and Martin Luther. Even though the Confessions is more than 1,500 years old, it still speaks to us and has the capacity to change our lives.

The professors trace the narrative of Augustine's early life and the key events that led to his Christian conversion at age 31. In a succession of stories that are as powerful as any in world literature, Augustine seeks to understand the same issues in his life that many people try to understand in theirs, arriving at profound conclusions that offer stunning insight into our psychology and morality and challenge us to become wiser and better people. This course is a superb springboard and companion guide to your reading and rereading of one of history's singular books: one that will challenge and stimulate your mind and provide a framework through which to find true understanding, value, and meaning in your life.

Lectures

  1. Augustine and the Confessions
  2. Augustine and the World of Classical Antiquity
  3. The Corpus of Augustine's Writings
  4. Form and Genre
  5. Book I: Sin and Confession
  6. Book I: Augustine's Childhood
  7. Book II: Augustine Grows Up
  8. Book II: Stealing Pears: So What?
  9. Book III: The Journey Begins
  10. Book IV: The Problem of Friendship
  11. Book V: From Carthage to Rome
  12. Book VI: A New Look at Christianity
  13. Book VII: Neo-Platonism and Truth
  14. Book VII: Faith and Reason
  15. Book VIII: Converging Conversions
  16. Book VII: “Pick It Up and Read”
  17. Book IX: The New Man
  18. Book IX: The Death of Monica
  19. Book X: Augustine the Bishop
  20. Book X: Augustine on Memory
  21. Book XI: Augustine on Time
  22. Book XII: Augustine on Biblical Interpretation
  23. Book XIII: Augustine on Creation
  24. The Confessions Through the Ages