500 word discussion

Write on the following topic:

Topic 1:

Why is it so hard for Augustine to change his life?  What finally causes his return or conversion to Christianity?  Is this reason satisfying to you?

Reading

The Making of the West
Chapter 6: The Creation of the Roman Empire 44 BCE–284 CE

• This chapter follows Rome's development from the Roman Civil War to the stability of daily life in Rome following Augustus' peace through transformation of the Roman government

Chapter 7: The Transformation of the Roman Empire 284–600 CE

• We will read about competing religious beliefs – traditional Roman polytheism and Christianity – and how the competition added to the instability of the Rome. We will also consider how the immigration of barbarian tribes transformed Rome’s politics, society, and economy

The Norton Anthology of Western Literature, Vol. 1
Augustine, Confessions

• Considered the first Western autobiography, Confessions explores Saint Augustine’s sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity