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Presumption and Confession - Caroline Tucker

As I was reading Saint Augustine’s Confessions, I was convicted, intrigued at his thoughts, and inspired by his faith. I find it hard to write a blog post about the assigned reading because there is so much to write about. So, I will talk about one thing I found interesting.

In book VII section 20, St. Augustine speaks of his realization of the difference between the Platonist books he read and, as he puts it, “the Scriptures” (154). He speaks of this by saying that he is grateful to have read the Platonist books first because, “you wished me always to remember the impression they [the Platonist books] had made on me so that later on, when I have been chastened by your Holy Writ and my wounds have been touched by your healing hand” (154). Augustine speaks of the impression the Platonist books had on him and how the Scriptures disciplined his beliefs. I find this very interesting as I am reading a Platonist book currently. To think how Augustine was reading the books from his perspective is intriguing. As I am reading it, I can see how the Platonist books affected his life and how he was disciplined in his beliefs and opinions while reading Scripture. 

My favorite part of this section is when he says, “I should be able to see and understand the difference between presumption and confession...” (154). I think this is an interesting thought. In comparing Platonist thoughts with Christianity, I can see how important the distinction is when learning about Christianity from a Platonist perspective. Presumption, as most of you know, is the basis of an idea that is not certain. I like to think of it as the foundation of an assumption. Confession, on the other hand, is the admittance of a crime. In Platonist perspective, most beliefs are founded on presumption while Christianity is founded on faith and, in Augustine’s perspective, solidified with confession. That is the amazing difference between the two. Presumption is abstract while confession is solid. 

To conclude, I would like to leave the rest of St. Augustine’s very long sentence for my audience to chew on.“...between those who see the goal that they must reach, but cannot see the road by which they are to reach it, and those who see the road to that blessed country which is meant to be no mere vision but our home” (154)


I commented on Jackson’s and Haley Riddles’s posts.

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