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A "Grievous Sin" // Haley Riddle

       Augustine, why music?! As I mull over chapter 10 book 33 of Augustine's Confessions, I can't help but roll my eyes just a little. I mean, yes, as Christians we should honor Christ in everything, but if my interpretation is accurate then according to Augustine I can't enjoy music just for the beauty of it. On page 239 Augustine says, "Yet when I find the singing itself more moving than the truth which it conveys, I confess that this is a grievous sin, and at those times I would prefer not to hear the singer." Okay. In some aspects I agree with this. I agree that if a singer is singing a worship song it is important for the listener to focus on the truth being sung. However, I think Augustine needs to calm down a little. I believe God gives us earthly blessings that we can enjoy, one being music. I think that as long as we know that God is the Creator of all things good and we thank Him for those blessings, it is not a "grievous sin" to enjoy them. I am not totally sure where I stand on this argument, actually, because as I said in a previous post, I think it is important that an artist who writes worship music should focus less on the sound and more on the meaning. At the same time, I think we are allowed to enjoy music for its sound. 

Please please please tell me what you think about this idea!



Commented on Micah and Logan's posts


Augustine. Confessions (Classics) (p. 239). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition. 

Comments

  1. Jessef LeslieFebruary 7, 2021 at 10:02 PM

    I agree, a life completely rid of sensual pleasures is very boring. Most people who preach what Augustine does don't live it out in any way ( and from Augustine's book we can see that he didn't either)… "Beware the preachers" as said in Charles Bukowski poem "The Genius of the Crowd". So with this in mind, I believe that it's important to balance sensual pleasures as you said. In his early years, Augustine was so over took by these pleasures that it now seems clear why he made such an exaggeration, but everyone isn't like that.

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  2. Abigale BellFebruary 8, 2021 at 10:58 AM

    Hi Haley! I totally agree with you! I think it is important to make sure our focus is rightly centered on God when we worship. However, I think music SHOULD be appreciated for its beauty. It can be something which points us to God. Even Augustine said music was the thing that drew him into the church in the first place. It can be something which we use to draw closer to God. Augustine seems to struggle with the issue of overindulgence. He blurs the line between appreciating beauty in music, and allowing that to overwhelm his focus.

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  3. Rachael GregsonFebruary 8, 2021 at 12:27 PM

    Totally agree with you, Haley. St. Augustine has me feeling like I'm recanting my blog post from last week too. I'm convinced he either had a severe guilt complex where he felt convicted for everything he found pleasure in, or he merely believed in eudaimonism-the belief that happiness only comes from a meaningful life and that a pleasurable life should be avoided. While I want a meaningful life over a pleasure-filled life as well, I do not think pleasure should be written out completely as long as it doesn't dishonor or displease God.

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