Discuss sin. Is Augustine an unusually sinful or evil person? Is he preoccupied with sin? Is sin something than one can escape or ignore? Are there times when it is better to tolerate one's own or someone else's sins?

Discuss pride. Is it a sin to want to achieve something and then have pride in it? Is Augustine right to feel pride in his power to learn and teach, or is it a sin? Why is pride called "one of the seven deadly sins?"

Explain the importance of the Manichean sect. Why was Augustine attracted to the Manicheans? Did their doctrine make sense? What was appealing about the doctrines of the Manicheans? Why did Augustine abandon the Manichean sect? How was the Manichean sect different from Catholic Christianity?

Compare and contrast the characters of Augustine and Monica. Did Monica also suffer from periods of...