View a FREE sample

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. At what age does Augustine decide to become a philosopher?

3. Though Augustine is proficient in learning the sciences and philosophy of his time what is he unable to formulate?

4. Who is Fautus?

5. Instead of studying the literal meaning of a phrase what is important to study?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Monica feel about Augustine moving and how does he get around her?

3. Who teaches Augustine about astrology and what does he say?

4. Basically, what is Confessions about?

5. What kind of pressure does Augustine feel as a young person and what does he do about it?

6. How do the questions Augustine have about God and the world affect his faith?

7. What does Augustine decide about reading Scripture and interpreting it?

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

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

10. What is Augustine's primary thoughts of when he arrives in Carthage and what does he do with them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Augustine thinks about sin, and feels overwhelmed with the task of avoiding sin. Babies and the saintly are affected or tempted by sin.

1. Do you think the second sentence above is true? Why or why not?

2. Do you think, given Augustine's definition of sin, that humans can avoid sin? Why or why not?

3. Discuss Augustine's ideas about sin.

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 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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,051 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample