20 Life with Augustine

Prayer

The following prayer of Augustine may assist you in your own prayer
at the end of this first chapter.

Confessions I, 1(1)

1, 1. Great are you, O Lord, and exceedingly worthy

of praise;’ your power is immense, and your wisdom
beyond reckoning! And so we humans, who are a
due part of your creation, long to praise you-we
who carry our mortality about with us,’ carry the
evidence of our sin and with it the proof that you
thwart the proud! Yet these humans, due part of
your creation as they are, still do long to praise you.
You arouse us so that praising you may bring us joy,
because you have made us and drawn us to your-
self, and our heart is unquiet until it rests in you.
 group GATHERING
Seeking God with Augustine

Introductions (10 mins)

As this is your first time together take a couple of minutes to introduce your-
selves to one another and share your reasons for undertaking the course. Also
what was it like working through chapter one, did you encounter any difficul-
ties?

Questions for consideration

You may wish to use the reflection questions from the previous chapter as a
basis for discussion.

Preparation for next meeting

Someone in the group might volunteer to prepare a presentation/reflection on
a section of chapter 2.

Group Discussion Guidelines

The group gathering provides an opportunity for you and other participants to receive the material
at greater personal depth and to broaden the course experience. The questions from the chapter
may provide a basis for discussion. Adjust the group gathering as suits your groups needs. It’s
your learning

Expect to enjoy sharing experiences of Life with Augustine

Include a form of prayer in the gathering

Value the responses to the course that each one offers
No one has all the wisdom but many pieces together form a larger picture
Discussions kept on track are more satisfying(using the questions from the

chapter will help)

Meetings that start and finish on time are always appreciated

Occasionally combining the group gathering with snacks/refreshments or a

meal could enhance the experience

21
22 Life with Augustine
 2
the world of
Augustine
24 Life with Augustine

Chapter 2: The World of Augustine

Introduction
In order to understand Augustine it is important to know something
of the world from which he came. The prevailing culture, politics,
geography, education, social patterns and, of course, church situation
made up Augustine’s world view and coloured4 his outlook. So we
take this look back into the social fabric of Augustine’s Roman world
to understand him a little better. You might be surprised at some of the
similarities to our own world.

This chapter has a different format than others in that there is no

Scripture or prayer included, just two articles about the world of
Augustine. A map has been provided on the following page should
you wish to keep track of the places where some of the major events
of his life occurred.

Articles by Augustine scholars

The two articles following are concerned with the world that Augus-
tine was a part of. As you progress through them underline what you
think are important points, insights and challenges. The questions for
consideration that will be presented at the end of this chapter are listed
below.

- What insights about Augustine have you gained from this

reading?
- Do you see any similarities between Augustine‛s world and
our present world?