imroduclion to lhe second of lhc QurwslitHws (lt (continued)

imroduclion to lhe second of lhc QurwslitHws (lt (continued)

lmmductim1 15

74 The Gmce of God word. as, for example. in the frequently occuni ng formula "tlu·ough Christ as human being to Christ as God." We must therefore always take the ambivalence of the word into account his activiry as a preacher. The former much on our subject inasmuch as I hey deal with the exegesis of Lhe relevant texts: especially important here are woJ'ks on Augustine~s exegesis of Oene.~islz and on the u~e and interpretation of tbe psalms in the Co,ifessions and in the expositions of the psalms'' Also of interest in this context arc the introduclions to Augus t ine~s grea( apologetic

complex thao the two difljculties named i!-> a third: the facl chat readers of Augustine's works are lilced with a Greco-Roman reinterpretation of the

Bible. Augustine undoubtedly believes in the God announced in the prophetic and apostolic writings. Nor can anyone fail tO sec ~1at he sticks to the wording of the biblical books, especially when dealing with the Book of Psalms. At the same time, however, neither is it poss.ibl.e Lo overlook the fact that he heru·s tl1e language of the Bible :ts a U1tin speaker of the imperial age. Above all. he feli.e-s on !he Uuin translation of lhe .Bible thm in tt Jrn goes back tO the Sep!uagim. ln doing so. he constantJy fo Uows the e-::.rlicr Latin tradition, which likewise is largely dependent on the Greek t.-adition. In other words, whenever he preaches and teaches about God, his words, especially in his ciwork, The Ciiy <~f God. since here Augustine uses many of his O\vn exp JanaLions of Lhe biblical books from Genesis to the Apocalypse of John.-" As for the se.rmons, a special interest auachcs U> lho.se dealing with the creed:l5

3. Thought~ on the Appropriate Method a) The Principal Difficulties in a Presentation of Augu~Li ne 's Te <~chin.g on God tations and paraphrases of the Bible, have u H·in and Greek overtones. For example, wben, together with the biblical writers, he calls God "Lord" and "Father," he awakens in his hearers images cunent i.n Latin Nor1h Africa around the year 400. He speaks to them of God as the father of a household,

Despite its brevity, the preceding survey of Augustinian scholarship during the last hundred years makes it quite clear bow difficult it is to properly evaluate Augustine's teaching on God and to present its m.aio lines. As lhe reader will have seen, one must come to grips especially with four difliculties.

thereby rellecting the way in which ~ .c Romaus of ~le time thought of the pateJ'jiimilias. But how is one adequately to bring aU 1hese nuances intO play?

First of all, in all the works of his that have survived, Augustine evidently tlcts as a "theologian'' and speaks constantly of God-. f:le l.ikes to speak of ''the truest philosophy,'' bur by tltis he means theology in the pre_sent-day sense of the word. All he h"'s in mind are the efforts of Christiruls to gain a deeper understanding of their faidl, to think out the reasons for the mystery, and thus to show themselves not only lovers of wisdom but also lovers of Cod. With tl1is in mind, A. Schindlcr comes to the conclusion. at the end of his excellent thirty-page survey of Augustine's interior development and theology.

Last, one musr keep in mind the intellectual development which Augustine tUldoul)tedly experienced in the forty years of his theologicallabors. True enough, the inLUitions that played a decisive role jn bjs full retum to the Catholic faith remai11ed characteristic of his thinking until the end of his life .

But it is no less certain that his pastoral experiences. the continual bailie against errors. Lhe c.ri tical responses to the objections of both pag_ans and Christians to divine providence. and the daily obligation of exhorting and encouraging h.is faithfu.l. allied him 10 rethink his inidaJ ins"ights. There are even scholars who think that over rhe years Augustine became rnore pe..~s i rnis:t ic

" rhis means that the doctrine of God and the essential features of Christology form a background for everything else I have presented.''3fi This statement certainly applies more to the teaching on G<>d than to the Christology. Even though the Christolog._ical passages in Augustine's writings are very numet'- ous, God is everywhere seen :t~ the beginning and the end, as tl1e "subject'' (to precisdy in his teaching about God. He moved (they say) from the God of light to the God of darkness who :wbitr"rily determines everything in advance.l' This Hsse:;;smem of his teaching on God is in fact one-sided, but this is not disagreeing with the underlying idea that Augustine did undergo an intcllecLUal development It is. however, not easy tO represent this development ln a handy way and without all too many repetitions.

use the language of Scholastic theology). Anyone wanting to speak of Augustine's picture of God must therefore go imo all of his writings, which is an impossible undertnk.ing.

Nexl, a reading of Augustine•s v.:rltings makes il immediately clear lhaL the Latin word Deus (''God") is an equivocal one. When Augustine uses it spontaneously. without further theological ret1cction, and especi;-,Uy when he uses it as the subject of a sentence. Deas means the God oflsrael, the God of the prophets. and the God or Jesus Christ, or, in short, the Father whom ChrisLians contess in the firsr article of the baptismal creed. But A.ugustine also uses the word to express the fact that tl1e Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are " single God and equal in nature. Likewise. he also calls Jesus Christ or the b) Methodological Consequences

If we are to effec1ively meet these difticuhies facing a survey of Augus ..

Line's te<lChing on God, we must undenake a selection or Lexts. To come to grips with all the writings in the s<u.ne measure-would be a completely impossible unde11aking. The study thm follows will therefore be restricted to the most importnnt works or groups of works and within these., at least in part, lO

Holy Spirit "God." Particularly worth noting is the Christologicaluse of the

77 those writings in panicular that seem most representative of the main quesfourrh chapter. a concluding overview. the principalrraits of Augustine's picurrc of God will once again be emph:r;.it.cd.

tool up in his thc.:ologicalthink.ing. '-)

The "ritings selected nre to be discussed in chronological order. ·m;, principle is llpplicd. however, with nexibility. lo the discu»Sion of n basic text. earlier or later but an any case more secondary passage.' will al'><l be introduced. Thu> in rhe \CC lion on Tlrt Ut era/ Mea11i11g of Gtlle>is. pa,;ages from orhcr wri tin~s on Ood "' crearor will also be wken inro accoun1. In panicular. 1l1e chronologic;ll order will be set aside at tbe beginning and th~ end of !he cnrirc di~cus.s ion. which will begin wjth the COJ~{essions. fundnmcnwl on the qucs· tion of God. ttnd cntl with ~.c preaching to the f<~il hfu l, conslanl lhroughonl Augustin..:'s entire pl'icstly ministry.

l"u •·th~rrn OI'~, il will be my concern in d1is s1Udy to bring our, above all else. rhe biblical background of Augustine's picrurc of God. This will nor. however, prevcm uuention to the shades of meaning that come from his cuJ .. tu.ral environment und the concerns at work in his pastorul ministry. The point is 10 take adequmcly into account the fact rhat his tcaohing on God. as well as his entire theological thought. has its basis in the Bible. but in the Bible as read and explained in the imperial Church of the founh :~nd fifth centuries."'

Finally. for all these reasons. tltere can be no question of presenting the entire rc:oching of 1\ugu<tine on God. Aueotioo will be directed rather to the meaning of "God" (Deus) "''Augustine uses it. This implies two rhings. First, we shall be looking 10 see with what meaning and in whm comcxl.\ Augustine use.' ll1c word "God." Second. we sbaU keep in mind rhm when Augusrinc speaks of "Ood." h~ me:ln> in rhe first place rho Fmher. 10 whom rhe (Latin)

Bible is prit11no·ily rcferl'ing when i1 speaks of "Gud.'''" This d<)C.~ nor mean, however·, ignol'i ng 1 he litct lhnl Augustine also speaks of I he Sotl and I he Holy Spirit or rhc enti•·c Trinity as "God" and rhal, of course. he acknowledges !he equality of the Uu·cc persons as understood by Nicea and ncccprs the principle that all the cxtcrnnt divine works are common lo the lhn.:c pCI'S()ns.

c) Divbion of the Srudy

In liglu of the previous considerations. this >econd part of the worl will have four chapter>. The first, "God in the WriringJ> of Augustine rhe Seeker ... will, in addition to the Corrfe"-rimrs. deal also witll the philosophical dialogues and the ami-Manichean writings from the first period of Augu>linc's literary production (386-40<)). The second chapter will be on "God m rhe ~1ajor Theological Works": here rl1e principal works of Augusrine-Titc Trmiry, Tire Utan/ Meani11g 1lj Ge11esis. nnd Tire City t~( God-will be discu;,scd. The rhird chaprcr·, "O<>d in rhc Christian Program of Life.'' will first discus;. two leucrs ( 147 and 187) in which Augusline lakes up questions huving 10 do with rhe vision of Cod and with the presence of God; it will I hen I urn tO ~he aml-Pelngian \VJ'itings, 1h..: /!..tpo,ifimiS ll tlu.' Psalms. alld the baptismal Culech csc..~. In 1hc

GtNI in the Writiugl f( Augunin4! 1/t~ S4!du 79 the CtJil[e>sions is a God of dialogue. Augustine is in lirct not seeking simply to deepen his knowledge; ruthcr. he is inv Qivcd with his God. invokes that GOd, tells God of his owu wretchedness. and pmiscs the divine mercy. In short. he speaks with the Lord his God:'

Fin01lly, in his convers:uion with God. Augustine i' 1clling himself and his readers \\hO tire God is with whom he is speaking: the God who is before nnd above nU things and at the same time cl~r to us than we are to ourselve>. But this all-trunscendent and at the >amc time all-present God is viewed not only oruologically but also historically. God manifests the divine self in the history of sin and of jt•stification. This implies th:rt human beings know God not ouly because Ood enlightens them (illwninatio Dei) bm also and above all because God is constantly mindful of them (memoria Dei).

CHAPTER 1

God in the Writings of Augustine the Seeker a) Augustine"s Spirimal Journey

Anyone deating with the Corifessions will usually think immediately of the convcl"l<ion which the young African professor of liter"ture unde•wem nea1· Milan in 3&6. A11d yet it is obvious that the so-called conversi.on of Augustine ccumot be tied down to che scene in the garden when he heard <:t child singing "Take, read; Lake, read," (>pcncd the Lcuer to the Romans. and read the libe•·· ating words of the Apostle' !lis conversion took place rmher in the course of an imellecmal. ascetical. and religious process. Indeedand this is not always given ;tdt.-quatc attentionhis wa~ not in the finaJ analysis a conversion in •he usual scn;e of the word. 01· at lcn;t not a conversion from paganism to Christjanity. 11\ I he course of a long and difficult ascent.., AugusLinc reached the conl. " Lord my God": God in the Confessions

In t.he Conf~ssions. which is surely his besl known work. Augustine un .. doubtedly gives a unique cxpressioo to his picture of God. Already a bishop with some experience behind him, but still s..-eking inner peace, he tu m~ with all his hean to his God and lAnd.' ll1is masterwork of late antiquity undoubt· cdly :llso rnises numcrou:-, histo1·ical. literary, and theological questions, but it is not po:ssible to enter hc1·e into such a complex set of problems. 2 Thi~ much, howcvc1·, may be mai111aincd: modern schohwship !)et!s Lhe Cm({essions ns containh1g. on 1he one hund. a largeLy reliable hislOI'icaJ accoum and, on the other, further rc Occtioo that mirrors the religious experiences which the auviction that I he faith of his c.lrildhood fully satisfied his academjc and ethical expectations.6 Numerous scholars have described this journey to full llcccptance of the Catholic faith. They have, however, also given ''arying assessments of the account in the Cmife.<sions. together with the allusions in the early writing~.'

thor had had by the time the work wa~ composed. A. Trape expresses the generally held view by diqingubhing between ""the Augustine presented in the

Augusline was never a pngnn. On the contrary, he wa.\ born into a Chri!\· tian fnmily. He did. of coun::c. huvc pagan acquaintances: and in any case. he was familiar with Lhc pagan life of Lhe tlme. as his cri1icisms of comemporary paganism show.' Bm he himself emphasizes the Christian influence which he experienced from his earliest childhood. He •·emarks in connection with his reading of Ciccro 's !JfJrttn.'i"-'· ··This name of my Saviour your Son, my infant hean had piously drunk in with my mother's milk, and at a deep level I retained the memory·· (Cor![. 3.4.8; Chndwick, 40). He had seen how people prayed and had learned from them to turn to God in his childish distresses (Cm![. 1.9.14). As a child. he had also heard of the protnises of eternamnion" (1\gQstino mzrrtllo) and ··Augustine lwhol narrates" (AgO.flbw 1Wr· l'fllt(('j.J

These remarks sugg~s l three steps in describing the intcllectua1 nnd ~pi ri .. tual journey of l·\ ugustinc. ·rhe tirst is to dcscl'ibt.: lhc evems and expcl'it.:nccs of hi~ life chat led him to the poin1 of recognizing and ~ccepting God, not on1y academically but existentially."'' "'Being itself" {ifi Swn esse). He tells of these e'ents and experience\ in order to show other;; the way to God. A second Mcp will turn to the Gnd of dialogue. Any description of Augustine the narrator will include a fonnal a<pect nnd an aspect concerned more with content. In the fOI"IIler. we a•·e dealing with the basic literary chnr:tctcr of Lhe Co,ifesslon.<. As is generally recognized. th~ ConfessiOIJS are shaped by Lhe Book of Psalms. In nal life. for the entire household professed the Chri~tinn faith, except ror his fmhcr, who djd not. however. stand in Lhc way ()f his mother's devotion (Conj. 1.1 1. 17).

convcr:st Hion with God. Augosl-ine exprcs~c~ himself io the m:umer of the r•almbt. \VItcn this fact is noticed, it becomes clearer how much the God of

SO flit Gr•cr ofCtHI

Even though the discovery of"God "'being it\Cif' fonns the center of his

In hi' youth. th~n. Augustine oever questioned the exhtencc of God. His difficult) wa> mther in picturing God to him>elf and untlcl'l>tanding God'> re· lation.,hip to the "orld.• After his disappointing reading of Ciccro and his still greater di.,Jiu,iOounena with the Bible, he was introduced to the Manichean community of Canhagc. which promised him the resolution of his problems

we mu.tol Onelheless understand ~lb in the context of the spiritual tranS· ronnation by which Augu>tinc moved from a \till rather vague faid1 to a considered :tnd freely accepted faitb.U b) 11>c God of Dialogue wi~oou t rccour..c to any authority.10 At that time. his Chri>tian beliefs were inundated by .. ,plcndid hallucinations" (Crmf. 3.6.10; Chadwick. 41). He saw

In modem scholarship on the CUirfe>sions. a go·eat deal of importance has bc Cil given to 1he deccrminatjon of its li1Crary genre.'"' In particular. variou$ him~clf thc 1·c i'on~ incapable of imagining an immaterial rcnlity, :md lhis was

principal reason for his aberrations (Co1![. 4. 16.29; 5.10. 19f.; 5. 14.25; 6.3.4). Even after he turned away from Manichcism, he was still untoblc to rid himself of his ouaterinl images of God (see Cm![. 7.5.7). lie imagined ll God spread out over endless space (Co1![. 7. 14.20).

wrilcrs hnve cudcavored to de lint.! r'l'IOI'C precisely the menning of t.hc words "confession" (co1r[essia) and "confess" (cOiifit<'riJ." In light or Lhis. it might hnvc been expected thal more attention would be paid to the influence of the psalms (111 the Confessions.16 In any case. we do have a study l)f Lhis precise question from the year 1955.1' A pan from 1he innucncc of Christian hymnody and llllcicnt pOCLI)', it is the extensive use of the language of the psalms that explain, on~ of the most imponant litcrary chamctcristics or the Cmrfessions: the interior dialogue that gives it its form.

When, hOWCVCI', he ..:amc upQn lhc writings or the Plntonistsf he round a spiritual Coo. As he looked back. he ~10ughc "! was a.stoni>hed to lind that I already loved you, not a phantom surrogate for you. Rut I WU!oo not !itablc in the en Joyment of my God" (Cm!J:7. 17.23: Chadwick. 127). Yet >hortly before this revolution~!)' experience. he was still unerly confused. withom any ligbt, his eyes fhed on thing~ instead of on God (Cm![. 7.7.11). If at thi< decisive point \\C n.-call the wm .. h at the beginning and the end the Cmrfes.<itlns-"You have made us for yourself. and our bean is restless until it rest~ in you" ( 1.1.1: Chad";ck. 3) and "In your gift we fiod our rest lOcrc arc )'()U oor joy. Our rc.<l is our peace" ( 13. 9.1 0; Chadwick, 278)-it becomes cle..1r ~~~t heo·e is ~le hcan of the work: the soul. created in the image of God. that &eeks its ccmeo· of grav-

The fact that in the Cotr[essiOIIS. Augu>linc is in roct speaking to his God ;. repeatedly emphasized-'• Indeed. it does appe.1r at first 'ight that he is eogaged in a monologu~. In his words. expo.,itions. n~rrntives. and quesnons he answc"" himself. as l1e does in the preceding early donlogues. of wh>ch he bunsclr says. "Augustine )wlksl w i~l Augustine."" But if we listen more auen1ively. we become aware of the invisible pao1ncr in dialogue who supports Augustine in his search for the trulh. approves or rejects his solutions, and fiil)' in God nnd not in itself nlso redi~cove~ its pJucc in the :o.lni Ciurc of things.

nally leads the process tn its conclusion. This pao·tncr is the Lrll~l , God.'0 In othCI' words. in the Confessions, Augustine lcls God teach him. God reveals

Augustine did not acquire this right anitude 10 reality all at once. Tie had to stnogglc tor it. Above all. he had to gain clarity on the problem of evil. Tn this regard. the books of the Platonists served only as un admonilion, 4t shock.

I he mcnning oi' life 10 him, aod all with a vic.w lO those who will read his account. Augustine thus ceaselessly tut·ns 10 the Loo·d, h i~ God. He coostaotly

Augu ~t i nc therefore h:1d to confront in all honesty Lhc Ll'lllh that as crcmor. God tra Jlscends all things. lie had to find his God-eternal tnllh, u·ue love. and beloved eternity-within his own heart (Cm![. 7.10. 16).11 In the iinal spe~ks the divine name and invokes God ( Cflnj: 1. 1.1 ): he even beseeches God (Con/: 10.37.62}. In the last books, he b >till ;peaking with his God''

Augustine owes this way of conver.ing with God to lhc sacred Scriptures and especially to the Book of Psalms. Re:tder> can gain ceraaimy on this point analy~i;.thc di~covcry that he made. with the help of Plot in us a' read through the eyes of Porphyry. was of God as "Being itself' (iJJSI/111 ejse). For him. howe,·er. the God thus discovered was identical with the "God who i<" who simply by looking at some invoc~~tion> of God nod their contexts in the first lxK>k of the Ctmfessiolls. In addition to tile '"ell-kno"rn beginning (C01![.

was revealed to Mosc~. Fm this reason. he would never cca.c preaching to his faithful both "God who is:• which is the name of God in etemity. and God tile Father, which is the nnme expressing God's mercy."

1.1.1-2..1). the following examples may be given: "Who then are you, my God? What. 1 a~k . but God who is Lord? For 'who is the Lord but the Lord'?: or 'who is God but our God?' (Ps 17:32)" (C01![. 1..1.4; Chad wick, 4); "In your

The lcngrhy prooe~§ of AugusLioe's cooversion wn\ climnxcd by his decimercies. Lord God. tell me what you are to me. ·Say to tll)' soul. I am your salvation' (Ps 34:3)" (Cm![. 1.5.5: Cbadwick, 5); "You are being in a supreme deg1·cc ,md are immutable. In you 1 he present d:l)' has no ending, and yet in s-ion to rcct.:ivc hnplism. lt also included. Lhercforc, the rc.nuncit1tion of his professional caoccr and Lhe choice of a philosopher'; life ("retirement to phill>oophize," otium plrilosopltaudi). Augustine speaks very litllc of his bapyou il has its end . . . . They would have llO way of passing away UJtless you <Cl a limit to them. Because ·your years do not fail' (Ps 101 :28), your years nre one Today" (Cm![. 1.6.10: Chad wick, ~).

. blU we :-;hould not on this account play down it:) impol'tuucc. His tlccounL of the conversion of M ;.t riu~ Victorious makes clear how he cstccntcd Christian baptism (Con/ 8.2.3-5).

82 The (;rafP oj God

Gqtl in rile \VritillftS of Augustme the Seeker 83

Two poims may be noted. First. nil hough he speaks of God more often as "Lord God" than as "Father." he mean> by "l.ord our God" the God of the ancestors. the God of l~rael. the God of Jesus. that is. ~le one whom Christians confe.'s in the lirst article of their b:tptismul creed" But we should oot forget present, perfection of both beauty and strength. stable aod incomprehensible.

immutable and yet changing all thing>. never new. never old, making everytiling new .. ," (Conf. 1.4.4: Chadwick. 4-5).

ln his lit"rury analysis of this unique pa~sage. G. Buisson brings out its stanzaic structure. itS antitheses. i~' hannony. and its biblical background."' In our present context. the most imponant point i' what he >ays about the use of :mtithc-<i>: "In tins passage. antithesis ha~ countless brilliant facets. lt is somethe second point. namely. that some invoca Lions rcf1cct Lhc religious l:mguage of l..1tin pagans. This will likely be true at least of the following instances: "Most high. uuerly good ... perfection of both beauty and strength" (Con[.

1.4.4: Chadwick. 4-5): "gemle Father" (Conf. 1.18.28: Chadwick, 20) and "Father of piety" (Cmif. 13.24.36: Chadwick. 295)": "Yet. Lord. I must give thanks to you. the most e•cellcnt and supremely good Creator and Governor of the uni•<erse, my God. even though by yourwiU I was merely a child'' (Cmif.

times quiet ('most beautiful-most strong·: 'stable.-incomprehensible'). sometimes animated ('alw3)'S active-always in repose"); bere it is gathered up into two words ('loqu:teious-mutc"). there it spreads out and is intensified (str. 3.34: 7.3-1)."

1.20.31: Chad\\ ick. 22). Whereas \uch titles and expressions from the GrecoRoman tradition m.1y presuppose n per..onal God." it must be admiued tbm tbe biblical climate of the entire work greatly augments this personal character.

This use of nntithe.is marks not just the beginning of tbe ftrSI book of !he Cmife.uim>S. but the entire work." Not only does it sbow the author's rhetorical skill: it also renects the dialecuc at work in his theological thinking."' The following examples may serve tO b:tck up this last point: '·deeply hidden and yet most intimately present" (Cmif. 1.4.4: Chadwick. 4-5); ••if only they [the Manicheesl could sec the eternal to be inward'' (9.4. 10: Chadwick. 162); "you

The prooounced dialogue fonn of the Cmife,<simJS thus makes it utterly clear th:n despite all the philosophical speculations they contain, they bear witness to an entirely personal God. a God to whom human beings tum with reverence and wonder. a God to whom they say "thou" as they do when speaking to another beloved hurnnn being. and in whom they lind one who understands them nnd is 'i"O gOO<.I to thcm.zo were more inward than my inmost part and higher than the highest element within me" (3.6.11 : Chadwick. 43): "you . .. are most high and most near, most secret nnd most present" (6.3.4: Chndwick. 93-94). ''

This l (t~l p:\ssage exphtin~ why God i~ at the same time far and near. God is distant, over us. becmtsc God is our Creator." Wld1 the aid of Ciccro and especic) The All-Transcending and Utterly Close God ally of the Platonic t•·adition. Augustine had di>covcred that God is truth (veriws) :tnd chnngclcss being (fps11m e.ue). But. following the .ludco-Christian tradition, he also •·cached the point of distinguishing between God as Creator and all good but mutable things.'·' At the same time. he also came to realize chat a,'\ our C1'Ca1or. Ood is ubH.l ncal' to us. carries us in the divine hands. guides our life, and brings to life everything good in us: "When people see these things with the help of your Spirit, it is you who are seeing in them·• (Coil}: 13.31.46: Chndwick. 300).-" ln h.is Confes.tious. rhcn, Augustine is speaking wilh his God. loasmuch as he addresses God rcpentcclly ns "Lord" but also dc,~cl'ibcs God as " kind Farher. he con~tant ly recognize$ bolh the transcendence and the closeness of this God. He does so with the optimism with which he ascends ti:om the beauty of created thiltgs to the beauty of thcit' Ct-eatot·. But he als\1 c<.mlmsts human wretchedness and God's n1ct·cy in the lllllllner which he developed from 396 on. at the httest. ln order thnt we may better unders~md these two approaches to God. we must also describe in more detail the way in which God helps human being$ lo n deeper vision of Lhe divine beauty and metcy by enlightening Lhem and remembering th1.an.

bb) Tile Jusr and Merciful God

In the Ctilift.t>iQII.<. Augustine tells how be sought God. 11 was not. however. only the weakne.<~ a~-oompanying creaturehood that stood in tlle way. but also the wrctchcdne-~s of the sinner. 1l1is ethical orientation of his spiritual joumey aa) God. rhf Crearor withi11 Us

At the beginning of tile Cmifessimu. Augu"inc ;,k~ God. "Wbo then are you. my God?" He himself knows 110 bener answer t11an. ··What ... but God wbo is Lord·)>· (Cmif. 1.4A: Chndwick, 4)."

is a solid historical fact. At that time. Augustine was in fact under the spell of

question of evil (s.:c CfHif. 7.7.11: 7.13.19). He had preferred to make an evil principle resp<>n,iblc for his moral difficuhic.~ (Cmif. 5.10.18). Because he was sick, he could n01 imagine God." In other words. because he was offended by n.'ality, he thought that be had no altemati•·e but to accept the existence of two principles."' For thi< n:ason. he also fell liber•ted wben be fouod the 111(>1111 strength to abandon himself tO God or. beucr. when God healed him (Conf.

He then develops thi' answer with a nood of titles for God that are borrowed from the language of both the Bible and paganism. Here arc the opening words of the series: "Most high. uuerly good. uuerly powerful. m~t omnipotent. most merciful and most just. deeply hidden yet most intimately

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