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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is different between scripture and the books of the Platonists?

2. How do men receive reflected wisdom from God?

3. What does Augustine warn will happen if we move away from God's responsibility for the creation?

4. To what does Augustine come to think the predictions of astrologists are due?

5. Besides concrete detail, what else does the mind remember?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Augustine decide to do at the beginning of Book IX? How does he do it?

2. What does Augustine decide to do by the end of Book VII and how does his mother feel about his decision?

3. What does Augustine say about the heavens?

4. Who is Victorinus and what has he done in his life?

5. What happened at the church in Milan and what Christian tradition was started there?

6. What is the story Augustine hears from Ponticianus and what does the story do to Augustine?

7. What does Augustine think about the Manicheans and why is he angry at them?

8. By the beginning of Book VII, how does Augustine begin to think of God?

9. What does Augustine think of the term formless matter?

10. Explain why Augustine rejects astrology.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Augustine believes that the most of the men who play prominent roles in the Bible were not totally righteous. Discuss the following ideas:

1. What do you think the word "righteous" means within the context of this book?

2. Can an imperfect "messenger" deliver a "perfect" message?

3. Is it realistic to expect any human to be perfectly righteous?

Essay Topic 2

Though Augustine admits that he benefited from his studies of Latin and Greek literature, he resents how he was led astray morally by some of the stories. When he read of Zeus engaging in fornication and being powerful, it also made him want to do these deeds. So, already in boyhood, Augustine sees the struggle to form his moral judgment and not be led astray by popular stories or opinion.

1. Do you agree with Augustine's assertion about the influence the Greek and Latin literature had on his behavior? Why or why not?

2. In today's society there are people who assert that reading books about violent acts cause people to commit violent acts. Do you agree with this idea? Why or why not?

3. How do you think this idea of Augustine's about being led astray has influenced the justice system of the western world?

Essay Topic 3

In Book V, Monica has an irrational urge to keep Augustine with her and not let him go to Rome. This incident symbolizes the struggle that all human beings have to control their fleshly desires in favor of their love of God. Discuss the following ideas:

1. For Augustine, is spirituality incompatible with physical life/pleasure (e.g., eating, sex, art, etc.)? Does his ideas about this change over the course of the Confessions?

2. Why do you think Augustine would say that physical life exists if it is incompatible with spirituality?

3. According to Augustine, can someone be highly spiritual and still "indulge" in the pleasures of physical life? What do you think personally?

(see the answer keys)

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