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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 Augustine's new life?

2. How does God create sky, water and earth?

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

4. What story does Augustine learn from a man named Firminus?

5. With what word in the scriptures is Augustine particularly fascinated?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Augustine say about the heavens?

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

3. What does Augustine say is the use of the senses in dealing with time?

4. What does Augustine say about formlessness?

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

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

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

8. What is Alypius' view of Jesus and what is Augustine's?

9. Why does Augustine feel a sort of schizophrenia?

10. How does Augustine describe wisdom?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Augustine asks questions such as, "whether I had any knowledge of myself when I was in the womb?" and, "where did I come from?" Augustine asks all these questions, but they do not shake his faith as they would modern skeptics, but rather strengthen his feeling about the mystery and omnipotence and infinite wisdom of God.

1. What do you think is meant by this statement? Use examples from the book to support your answer.

2. Do you think these two questions Augustine asked are common questions? How important are these two questions to you?

3. How would you go about trying to find an answer to these two questions of Augustine's within yourself or your belief system?

Essay Topic 2

The concept of evil is one that Augustine writes about throughout his Confessions. Discuss one of the following ideas:

1. What are the different ways Augustine defines evil as he changes? Give specific examples.

2. Do you view the actions of Augustine as a young man as evil? Why or why not? Use specific examples from the text and discuss the examples in depth in relation to the question.

3. Do you believe most people have a concept of evil, even those who might be considered truly evil by a general consensus across cultures? Briefly explain what might be a universal concept of evil.

Essay Topic 3

Augustine urges the church faithful to be righteous and to do good deeds, but not as a substitute for their faith. Their faith must be shown by their good deeds, and at the same time these good deeds must reflect their faith. This statement is a paradox.

1. Why do you think this statement could be classified as a paradox?

2. What do you think Augustine means by the statement above?

(see the answer keys)

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