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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 something Augustine finds very difficult to follow in real life?

2. Instead of learning Christian stories, what does Augustine learn?

3. Who does Augustine arrange to marry?

4. Why does Augustine find a woman to live with him while his fiance is too young?

5. Why does he prefer that sect at that time in his life?

Short Essay Questions

1. What gives Augustine an excuse to continue following his baser desires?

2. How does Augustine's initial conversion to Christianity come about?

3. Where is Augustine a student in Carthage and why does he study so diligently?

4. What happens with Augustine and the Manicheans and why?

5. What does Augustine foreshadow about philosophy and himself?

6. What type of job does Augustine do and where does he get his money?

7. What does Augustine's parents want for him?

8. What did Augustine write about that involved a theft of pears and how did he feel about it?

9. What does Augustine fear about the effect of studying pagan myths when he was young?

10. What did Augustine wonder about in relationship to God and the world and what are a couple of the questions he asked?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There is no harm in having different interpretations of the Scriptures, at least as long as various heresies are avoided, according to Augustine. If two people both believe in the word of God, it can even be fruitful to have a debate about different interpretations of the Scriptures.

1. Why do you think different people have different interpretations of religious writings?

2. Do you think different interpretations of writings apply to writings other than religious ones? Explain your reasoning.

3. Discuss the problem with language and why it might lead to different interpretations of the same writings.

Essay Topic 2

In Book III, Augustin, in reading the philosopher Cicero's book, called Hortensius, first finds in himself the love for truth, or from the Greek derivation, philosophy.

1. Do you think Augustine at this point in his life sees any conflict between philosophy and religion? Why or why not?

2. Do you think later in his life Augustine sees any conflict between philosophy and religion? Why or why not?

3. At the point of Book III, what do you think Augustine sees as the purpose of philosophy? Does this change when he becomes a Christian?

Essay Topic 3

When Moses wrote down the Holy Scriptures, he had to make them understandable, says Augustine. Moses also needed them to convey a deeper meaning to scholars and truth-seekers. The simple people think of the story of creation in a simple way, which is literal and materialistic.

1. Do you believe scholars are better able to understand religious writings than lay people? Why or why not?

2. Explain a situation in which you have read something you didn't understand.

3. What do you think Augustine means by "literal and materialistic" in the above sentence?

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