The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Book VII Overview. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Amor Dei: a Study of the Religion of Saint Augustine. Read the full text of Confessions: Book IV. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Augustine harshly criticizes this view for. Read the full text of Confessions in its entirety, completely free. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Confessions and what it means. By it I am carried wherever I am carried. The listed critical essays and books will be invaluable for writing essays and papers on Confessions . The work outlines Saint Augustine's sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity. Modern English translations of it are sometimes published under the title The. A RTS OF L IBERTY Augustine’s Confessions A Pr oj e c t of th e U n i v e r s ity of Da l l a s Ou tl in e, Q u e s tion s & I mp or ta n t Pa s s a g e s. The scene, which occurs in Book VIII, occurs in the garden of Augustine’s house in Milan, in July 386 CE. Addressing Jesus, he says, "How sweet did it suddenly seem to me to shrug off those sweet frivolities, and how glad I now was to get rid of them—I who had been loath to let them go. Flashcards; Learn; Test; Match; Q-Chat; Get a hint. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. A summary of Book III in Augustine's Confessions. 99/year as selected above. Christ for Augustine is also eternal, perfect wisdom itself, since such wisdom is both the nature of and the access to God. Summary. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Confessions and what it means. I Call upon You, my God, my mercy, who made me, and who did not forget me, though forgetful of You. And therefore most times, is the poverty of human understanding copious in words, because enquiring hath more to say than discovering, and demanding is longer than obtaining, and our hand that knocks, hath more work to do. Don't worry, God is working on it. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Selected Works of Augustine and what it means. It is a polished work, and is likely the. Content Summary. The author tells of his conversion to Catholicism in his early 30s. Augustine - Christian Doctrine, Philosophy, Bishop: De doctrina christiana (Books I–III, 396/397, Book IV, 426; Christian Doctrine) was begun in the first years of Augustine’s episcopacy but finished 30 years later. Anubis, Neptune, Venus, Minerva Anubis was. A summary of Confessions in Augustine's Selected Works of Augustine. He does this through a series of complicated scriptural references, and he asserts that the "unjust" will have no escape from God. 99/year as selected above. Verecundus is upset that he cannot. By telling this tale he transforms himself into a metaphor of the struggle of both body and soul to find happiness. thefriarwebmaster February 22, 2023 4 min read. The City of God, philosophical treatise vindicating Christianity, written by the medieval philosopher St. Analysis. Though this is not a primary idea in Confessions, Augustine sees all the events of his life as divinely just; he sinned, suffered, and was saved all according to God's perfect justice. As Augustine describes himself, he was a slave to his sexual impulses. BOOK I Great art Thou, O Lord, and greatly to be praised; great is Thy power, and Thy wisdom infinite. Book II Summary and Analysis. My heart, O Lord, touched with the words of Thy Holy Scripture, is much busied, amid this poverty of my life. Summary. Confessions was written by St. Summary. Monica is an engaging character, strong, energetic, and completely. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Moving on from Varro’s division between “mythical theology” and “civil theology,” Augustine now takes up the third major category, “natural theology,” for which he takes as his conversation partners the great philosophers of Greco-Roman civilization. 1 - 1. Sheed’s is living. Like the Manicheans, the young Augustine could not understand how evil could exist if God was omnipotent. He commends Socrates for promoting the conclusion that there must. 99/month or $24. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Confessions. 2 of 29. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Confessions and what it means. While Augustine's group is at the port of Ostia, Monica dies, Augustine reminisces about her. Augustine lived prior to his conversion. Augustine was baptized by Ambrose at Milan during Eastertide, A. A guy named Evodius joins Augustine's posse, and they all decide that it's time to go back to Africa. In order for any recollection and confession to take place, Augustine argues, a consideration of time and memory must be taken. The irrefutable solipsism of self confronted with the absolute reality of God, the wholly other: all of Augustine's thought. How does Augustine read the following statement from Genesis: 'In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. In school at Carthage, Augustine continues to be lost in carnal desires. His significance in church history can hardy be overstated. Oh how high art Thou, and yet the humble in heart are Thy dwelling-place; for Thou raisest up those that are bowed down, and they fall not, whose elevation Thou art. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. Book VII, Chapters 1-8 Summary. 397, the book is. " In addition to his first sexual escapades, Augustine is also quite concerned with an. He grounds his presentation on the premise that God is the creator of. Biggs (Books I. Summary. The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnAugustine’s Confessions is a strange book. The Confessions of St. The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. Evil/Wickedness. Augustine hopes Faustus can clear up some of his doubts regarding Manichean explanations of astronomy, which Augustine is starting to find improbable. Instead, he remembers with pleasure how he and his secret girlfriend used to sneak out and meet each other one long-ago. There are certain autobiographical details that are related, but this is by no means a conventional telling of the story of Augustine's life. In learning language, Augustine joined human society. Augustine explores free will and the nature of evil. After having told us of his life and conversion, he now mimics the state of his mind after conversion by showing us as much of. Augustine by St. Evil is a major theme in the Confessions, particularly in regard to its origin. BOOK II . He goes to speak with Simplicianus, Ambrose's teacher. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1938. Context for Book VIII Quotes. Having established that God exists, Aquinas is free to consider God’s nature and works. She follows him to the seashore, but he pretends he is waiting with a friend for a favorable wind. Behold, Lord, the ears of my heart are before You; open them, and say unto my soul, I am your salvation. He Praises God, the Author of Safety, and Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, Acknowledging His Own Wickedness. Augustine’s Confessions is a diverse blend of autobiographical accounts as well as philosophical, theological and critical analysis of the Christian Bible. Augustine's Confessions appears at first to be a spiritual autobiography, but it is rather an extended prayer to God in which the author presents himself as an object lesson of how an individual soul becomes a pilgrim seeking the path to God. A summary of Book II in St. The work can thus be viewed as both a discursive document. Let me die—lest I die—only let me see Thy face. Preview. Important quotes from Book VI in Confessions. Augustine was in poor health and felt his life was going nowhere. Confessions study guide contains a biography of Saint Augustine, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Book III, Chapters 1-9 Summary. A summary of Confessions in Augustine's Selected Works of Augustine. Full Work Analysis. In calling upon God, Augustine shows faith, because he cannot call upon a God he does not know. 99/month or $24. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. He Praises God, the Author of Safety, and Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, Acknowledging His Own Wickedness. Summary. Augustine is now a Christian in his heart, but he is unable to give up his worldly affairs, particularly sex. In Confessions, Augustine frequently refers to the completeness of God, and expresses the belief that anything outside of God is "lesser" - and perhaps even evil. Greek philosopher who lived from c. 387. In this Book Augustine "sums up" the points he has laboriously proven in the previous Books, and also touches on some other points of Catholic doctrine. Summary and Analysis Book 1: Chapters 6-7. Confessions (Latin: Confessiones) is an autobiographical work by Augustine of Hippo, consisting of 13 books written in Latin between AD 397 and 400. " Augustine asks how he can know that this is true. Let me die—lest I die—only let me see Thy face. Section 4. Augustine's mother, Monica, looms much larger in the Confessions than his father, largely because she was a lifelong Christian who always hoped for Augustine to become a baptized believer. To Carthage I came, where there sang all around me in my ears a cauldron of unholy loves. Translation . First published Wed Sep 25, 2019. Augustine explores the nature of God and sin within the context of a Christian man's life. Next, it will examine why St. Wasting no time in getting to the philosophical content of his autobiography, Augustine's. To confess, in Augustine's time, meant both to give an account of one's faults to God and to praise God (to speak one's love for God). For him conversion is coupled with living a celibate life, but this was not a. Augustine discusses his childhood. When I hear, may I run and lay hold on You. Reading The Confessions. To overcome his hesitation to convert, Augustine sought help from Simplicianus, another bishop in Milan. Augustine shared his struggles and was relieved to learn that the bishop approved of Neoplatonism. "Augustine wrote these words in one of his earliest works, but they retained their force throughout his lifetime. Whoso understandeth, let him confess unto Thee; and whoso understandeth not, let him confess unto Thee. It is obvious that all things were created, because they are subject to change. Study Guide. I was blown away by the beauty, the profundity, the. Augustine is moved by the story of Victorinus, but his old life has become a habit he cannot break. Throughout his confessions, Augustine repeats that the material world is not the source of goodness and light. Augustine is a great role model for all humanity. The Manichee answer is that evil is a separate substance against which God is constantly battling. Augustine points out that memory is not made of sense impressions but rather the images of what is perceived by the senses. Next, he was sent to school. Augustine proclaims that he enjoyed. Augustine probably began work on the Confessions around the year 397, when he was 43 years old. Augustine’s answers to this question would forever change Western thought. Augustine, Translated by Edward B. Book X is the beginning of the philosophical portion of Confessions. Chapter 1 is a prayer to God in which Augustine takes stock of his present situation. Modern English translations of it are sometimes published under the title The Confessions of Saint Augustine in order to distinguish the book from. Augustine in Confessions. Augustine's precise motivation for writing his life story at that point is not clear, but there are at least two possible causes. A turn away from the earthly does indeed take place in this section, as a series of increasingly debased sexual. Summary and Analysis Book 6: Chapters 7-16. Book III, Chapters 1-9 Summary. Augustine opens with a statement of praise to God; to praise God is the natural desire of all men. Summary. Confessions study guide contains a biography of Saint Augustine, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. 1. First, this essay will discuss the life St. in different amounts. Behold, Lord, my heart is before Thee; open Thou the ears thereof, and say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. The numbering of the Psalms (the same as the Septuagint and Vulgate versions) is, between numbers 10 and 148, one number less than the English versions translated from Hebrew. Background on Augustine and Confessions. CliffsNotes on St. In making a confession of praise, Augustine says, he is also demonstrating his faith, because he is not praising some distant or unknowable deity; God is as close to him as. In the modern era, it is often published with the title The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau in order to distinguish it from Saint Augustine's Confessions. His father, Patricius, was a pagan who still adhered to the old gods of Rome, and his mother. Augustine is further inspired by talking to Ponticianus, a court official, who tells him and Alypius about the famous monk, Antony of Egypt. I. Read the full text of Confessions: Book VI. Life of Plotinus. Faustus comes rolling into town. Augustine in Confessions. London: Loeb Classical Library. Summary. is. Book VIII, Chapters 1-5 Summary. Pine-Coffin, and it is worthy of his name. Augustine’s Confessions recounts that early life. We bring evil onto ourselves because we actively choose corruptible elements of the physical world rather than the eternal, perfect forms, which are spiritual. He also continues to talk about how much he likes being praised. Augustine's precise motivation for writing his life story at that point is not clear, but there are at least two possible causes. My god has answered this more than abundantly. D. 6]. The Manicheans made the mistake of identifying the soul with. Book 8 Summary. First, his contemporaries were suspicious of him because of his Classical, pagan. 99/year as selected above. Jekyll and Mr. It is Augustine re-interpreting his life through a biblical lens “to. Thus, the first three Arguments attempt to force one to accept the proposition that only the existence of God can account for (1) change in the physical world, (2) the existence of the physical world, and (3) existence itself. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Confessions” by Saint Augustine. The Confessions were written partly as a response to these critics, openly confessing Augustine's past mistakes, praising God with effusiveness and poetry, and roundly. Manichee beliefs begin to lose their luster for him during this period, and by the end of the Book he considers. Witty jabs aside, I completely agree with Kreeft. " He realizes, however, from the remove of middle age, that his one desire was simply to love and be loved. At 29, Augustine meets a Manichean bishop named Faustus, who is famous for his knowledge of doctrine. Suggestions. In poetic and inflated language, Augustine describes the descent into wickedness and sin that he experienced in his teenage years. God enables humans to freely choose their actions and deeds, and evil inevitably results from these choices. Andrew May 4, 2016 7 Comments on St. Words: 22,606 Pages: 46The only participants in the dialogue in De magistro are Augustine and Adeodatus, his son who was then about eighteen years of age. He enjoys the vicarious suffering he could experience by watching theatrical shows; he stops to consider the agonies of love. He goes to. 99/month or $24. The first book of the Confessions is devoted primarily to an analysis of Augustine's life as a child, from his infancy (which he cannot recall and must reconstruct) up through his days as a schoolboy in Thagaste (in Eastern Algeria). Summary. Augustine is now a Christian in his heart, but he is unable to give up his worldly affairs, particularly sex. The human audience for the text is other. Summary and Analysis Book 8: Chapters 1-4. At its most basic, an autobiography is the story of a person's life, written by that person. Augustine was baptized by Ambrose at Milan during Eastertide, A. St. Since first reading the text as a freshman at Valparaiso University, he has made an annual pilgrimage alongside the Bishop of Hippo through the thirteen books of his Confessions. A summary of Book IX in Augustine's Confessions. only if they are not evil. Book IX recounts some of the events directly following Augustine's conversion: his retirement from his secular post, his baptism with Alypius and Adeodatus, a shared vision with. Augustine created a theology of the self in Confessions, and in The City of God he initiates a theology of history. Reading was nothing short of salvific for Augustine. He was a Catholic theologian, bishop, and philosopher of Berber descent. Summary and Analysis Book 13: Chapters 1-38. He dedicates it to a famous orator, whom he admired and wants to imitate. in different amounts. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. 354–430). She is pleased, but not surprised, to hear that Augustine has given up Manichaeism. Summary. Chapter 1. BOOK VII . While Augustine's group is at the port of Ostia, Monica dies, Augustine reminisces about her. Featured Collections. Augustine writes it in such a way to stretch our minds and hearts so that. Saint Augustine. Augustine begins with the question of priority in the creation (he loosely defines 'priority' later in Book XII). Having exhausted the list of sins he's knowingly committed, Augustine worries about sins he might commit without realizing that they're even sins. The work outlines Augustine's sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity. Book VII Overview. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. I can see why, at the end of his life, the mathematician, scientist, and philosopher Blaise Pascal gave away his entire library of books, keeping only two: the Bible and Augustine’s Confessions. Books 1 through 9 of Saint Augustine’s Confessions are a kind of backward reflection, covering the period from the author’s birth to his religious conversion to Christianity. This imitation of Cicero’s Orator for Christian purposes sets out a theory of the interpretation of Scripture and offers practical guidance. God enables humans to freely choose their actions and deeds, and evil inevitably results from these choices. 20 For. Plato's philosophy in Meno and other dialogues influences Augustine's conception of memory. His father, Patricius, was a pagan who still adhered to the old gods of Rome, and his mother. Context for Book IX Quotes. This idea accommodates the fact, for instance. It is sometimes said that Augustine invented the modern autobiography. Book 7 picks up the thread of Augustine 's dawning understanding of a transcendent God and his happiness that "our spiritual mother, your Catholic Church" seems to be pointing in the same direction. Augustine with a Twist: The Similarities and Differences of the. Volusianus was concerned that Christianity had weakened the Roman Empire, especially in contrast to Rome’s former strength when it had served pagan gods. A summary of Book V in Augustine's Confessions. Confessions Summary. Beginning in Section 18 of Book 6, Augustine portrays his struggle over whether to convert to Catholicism. A summary of Book II in Augustine's Confessions. The poem's speaker, an old man on his deathbed, makes a last confession to a visiting priest—but perhaps not a very contrite one. c. ] 1 of 29According to Augustine, God is in all things: in equal proportions. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for. Yet it was also strange for Augustine’s contemporaries because its genre and structure are so unusual to most first-time readers. Augustine disagreed, maintaining that human beings are both body and soul together. A summary of Book XI in Augustine's Confessions. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David patriarchs of the Old Testament. A summary of Book X in Augustine's Confessions. This is the final Book of the autobiographical part of the Confessions (the concluding four Books address more strictly philosophical and theological issues). Even natural evils, such as disease, are indirectly related to human action, since they become evil. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. The scene, which occurs in Book VIII, occurs in the garden of Augustine’s house in Milan, in July 386 CE. Full Work Analysis. Book 11 Summary. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. In the school of thought known as Neoplatonism, Augustine found a way of reconciling his long pursuit of philosophy with his new and serious faith in the Catholic Church. Greek philosopher who lived from c. Augustine and published around 397 CE. About St. In Book XII, Augustine seeks to quell the diversity of opinions about the interpretation of the book of Genesis. Augustine plumbed into his memory to trace how God has poured His grace onto him since infancy, yet he has sinned since he was born. Augustine. AUGUSTINE was born in 354, the son of a Christian mother and a pagan father who farmed a few acres at Thagaste (now Souk-Ahras in eastern Algeria). Poor Mr. 687. Summary. Augustine’s Confessions Book 2 Response The themes of the second book of Augustine’s Confessions are well summed up in the preamble before chapter one. As a child, Augustine hated being forced to study, and those who forced him had only empty wealth and glory in. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Confessions. Augustine's Confessions Book 2 Summary. Context for Book II Quotes. THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT AUGUSTINE By Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo Translated by E. A guy named Evodius joins Augustine's posse, and they all decide that it's time to go back to Africa. In Carthage, Augustine persisted in promiscuity. I call You into my soul, which by the desire which Thou inspirest in it. Begun in 413 AD, only a few years after the Sack of Rome, City of God is Augustine’s rejoinder to pagan misconceptions of Christianity. 99/month or $24. During this time, he lives with a woman and has a child by her. With the onset of adolescence in Book II, Augustine enters what he seems to consider the most lurid and sinful period of his life. As such, he represents God's infinite mercy, his promise to humanity that God is within reach. At sixteen, he came home from school for a year while his father tried to raise money to send him to a better school in Carthage. Begun in 413 AD, only a few years after the Sack of Rome, City of God is Augustine’s rejoinder to pagan misconceptions of Christianity. This part of the writing process was essential to begin my essay as it allowed me to engage in discussion during ASI 110 seminar and establish what exactly Augustine meant within his work. Augustine's Confessions is undoubtedly among the most widely read works in medieval philosophy, for both philosophers and non-philosophers. The Confessions of Saint Augustine, by Saint Augustine. Returning to Thagaste from his studies at Carthage, Augustine began to teach rhetoric, making friends and chasing a career along the way. Augustine's early insistence on philosophy. Book XIII. Augustine's early insistence on philosophy as. This guide utilizes the. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Selected Works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and what it means. Confessions study guide contains a biography of Saint Augustine, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers. B. First published in 2015, and the 2016 Wolfson History Prize winner, the book tells the story of Saint Augustine’s early years until the point he discovered Christianity and vowed to live a celibate life. Pusey (Edward Bouverie) AD 401 CONTENTS. The union of this philosophy and this theology will guide his work for the rest of. The human audience for the text is other. as a whole in each thing. Confessions, spiritual self-examination by Saint Augustine, written in Latin as Confessiones about 400 CE. Suggestions. He notes that God sees even the wicked because he "abandon [s] nothing. Summary and Analysis Book 9: Chapters 1-7. Neoplatonism. Summary. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Confessions and what it means. The explanations of pagan scientists, although. Augustine focuses on redemption and the creation of God in that all things in the world begin with God. These two aims come together in the Confessions. Search all of SparkNotes Search. Instead, he distracts himself with "theatrical shows," musing on the fact that people enjoy sad feelings evoked by fictional dramas, even though everyone aspires to happiness. SUMMARY. Celibate Augustine Examines His Youthful Non-Celibate Self. 99/month or $24. Hide not Thy face from me. Summary. We bring evil onto ourselves because we actively choose corruptible elements of the physical world rather than the eternal, perfect forms, which are spiritual. 99/month or $24. Book II. He identifies two closely related causes. It doesn't matter how articulately something is phrased if it isn't true, Augustine says. BOOK X . 19 The motif and contents of the Confessions reflect Augustine’s Greco- Roman heritage. 2 of 29. By your gift, we are enkindled and are carried upward. INTRODUCTION. Education at the hands of poor teachers could not hinder his acute mind from acquiring a mastery of classical Latin literature, especially Cicero and Virgil. Augustine addresses City of God to Marcellinus, a friend and statesman who had requested Augustine’s aid in answering the proconsul Volusianus’s questions. Augustine - Philosopher, Theologian, Bishop: Although autobiographical narrative makes up much of the first 9 of the 13 books of Augustine’s Confessiones (c. Augustine's Confessions. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Confessions and what it means. After a lifetime spent engaged in a philosophical search, Augustine finally began to read Neoplatonic texts. Like many ancient books, its style and tone are so unfamiliar to the modern reader. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Covering the first fifty-three years of Rousseau's life, up to 1765, it was completed in 1769, but not published until 1782, four. Hey, it's even better when the re-gained soul belongs to a powerful person. See how time came and went from day to day, and by coming and going it brought to my mind other ideas and remembrances [. Augustine then introduces and engages in a series of conundrums related to God’s essence. This line of inquiry will, he hopes, add to the contrasts between the earthly city and the city of God. Confessions"This is a reprint of William Watts' translation (with Scripture references) corrected according to Knöll's text, with the help of the translations of Pusey (1838) and C. A summary of Book III in St. From this celibate vantagepoint, Augustine examines the sources for the decidedly un-celibate behavior as a younger man that he has described in his Confessions. Summary and Analysis Book 4: Chapters 1-3. He's a nice guy and all, but Augustine really doesn't buy what he's selling, though he is selling it well. 99/month or $24. But then, tragedy strikes: on the journey back, Augustine's mother dies. Summary. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. A masterpiece of Western culture, The City of God was written in response to pagan claims that the sack of Rome by barbarians in 410 was. Summary and Analysis Book 1: Chapters 1-5. English poet Robert Browning's "Confessions" is a tale of love and memory. This document is an on-line reprint of Augustine: Confessions, a text and commentary by James J. Book 11 is an extended discourse on time, in which Augustine begins to introduce his exegesis (interpretation) of the first chapters of Genesis. For close to ten years Augustine remained a Manichee and most of Book III is spent on detailing his errors in falling. Critical Essays The Confessions and Autobiography. Augustine reports that he loved reading Latin literature but always hated Greek. Noverim te, noverim me: "I would know you [God], I would know myself. Augustine opens with a statement of praise to God; to praise God is the natural desire of all men. as a whole in each thing. Augustine’s answers to this question would forever change Western thought. Summary. Augustine considers the meaning of the first words of Genesis: "In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. Therefore, when Augustine references Psalm 9, the text to which he refers is the English version of 9 and 10 combined. Augustine’s search for truth would inevitably lead him to fall in with the pseudo-Christian sect known as the Manichees (followers of the self-declared prophet Mani). While he believes God to be "imperishable, inviolable, and unchangeable," he is still stuck on a corporeal idea of God spread through. He uncovers a wide-ranging explanation of history that begins with creation itself, moves through the turmoil and upheaval of man-made states (the City of the World), and continues to the realization of the kingdom of. Augustine with a Twist: The Similarities and Differences of the. Summary. Augustine examines the action of the Holy Trinity in the creation by looking at the verse "the Spirit moved over the waters. Augustine of Hippo’s On Free Choice of the Will (in Latin, De Libero Arbitrio) is a work of Christian philosophy that explores human free will and the nature of evil.