Academic & Spiritual Disciplines in Augustine's "Confessions"

Augustine’s Confessions consists in a blend of honest personal narrative, serious intellectual inquiry, and heartfelt devotional prayer. From the first to the last line of this classic work, he addresses himself to God. The entire book, in which Augustine tells the story of his conversion to Christ and engages in profound and extensive theological and philosophical reflection, takes the form of a prayer to his Lord. Augustine believed the study of academic disciplines can be regularly, deliberately, and explicitly combined with the practice of the spiritual discipline of prayer. As a result, both his mind and his heart are transformed.

Why Science Needs Philosophy & Theology

Scientists can tell us what the facts are but we need philosophers and theologians to help us figure out what the facts mean and how to evaluate them. For instance, psychologists can determine how much satisfaction people derive from an activity. However, we need to think philosophically about why people enjoy that pastime and that will require that we find out what it means to them. We will also need to discern whether the involvement in question is genuinely worthwhile. And that will require us to ask if engaging in it contributes to the purpose for which God created us.