Augustine and Autobiography: Confessions as a Roadmap for Self-Reflection
In this article, I explore a pedagogical strategy for teaching Augustine’s Confessions to undergraduate students, which involves a final essay assignment. In the assignment, students compose their own “confessions” at the end of the term that employs Augustine’s Confessions as a roadmap for rigorous...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2015-03-01
|
| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/6/1/139 |
| _version_ | 1819002142466244608 |
|---|---|
| author | Mark S. M. Scott |
| author_facet | Mark S. M. Scott |
| author_sort | Mark S. M. Scott |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this article, I explore a pedagogical strategy for teaching Augustine’s Confessions to undergraduate students, which involves a final essay assignment. In the assignment, students compose their own “confessions” at the end of the term that employs Augustine’s Confessions as a roadmap for rigorous self-reflection. Like Augustine, they must employ a creative literary frame, without duplicating his rhetorical technique of framing his autobiography as a prayer to God. Moreover, they must reflect on the salient questions, key people, pivotal moments that have shaped them, and analyze their shifts in worldviews. The assignment aims to demystify Augustine and to reinforce the evolving nature of the self as it moves through time and absorbs new ideas and experiences, as well as helping students begin to formulate a coherent and constructive life narrative. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T23:00:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cbb592c1bf5d4d8181516f25dcf36904 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T23:00:24Z |
| publishDate | 2015-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-cbb592c1bf5d4d8181516f25dcf369042022-12-21T19:24:01ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442015-03-016113914510.3390/rel6010139rel6010139Augustine and Autobiography: Confessions as a Roadmap for Self-ReflectionMark S. M. Scott0Augustine and Culture Seminar Program, Villanova University, Saint Augustine Center, Room 76, 800 E. Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, USAIn this article, I explore a pedagogical strategy for teaching Augustine’s Confessions to undergraduate students, which involves a final essay assignment. In the assignment, students compose their own “confessions” at the end of the term that employs Augustine’s Confessions as a roadmap for rigorous self-reflection. Like Augustine, they must employ a creative literary frame, without duplicating his rhetorical technique of framing his autobiography as a prayer to God. Moreover, they must reflect on the salient questions, key people, pivotal moments that have shaped them, and analyze their shifts in worldviews. The assignment aims to demystify Augustine and to reinforce the evolving nature of the self as it moves through time and absorbs new ideas and experiences, as well as helping students begin to formulate a coherent and constructive life narrative.http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/6/1/139AugustineConfessionspedagogyeducationautobiography |
| spellingShingle | Mark S. M. Scott Augustine and Autobiography: Confessions as a Roadmap for Self-Reflection Religions Augustine Confessions pedagogy education autobiography |
| title | Augustine and Autobiography: Confessions as a Roadmap for Self-Reflection |
| title_full | Augustine and Autobiography: Confessions as a Roadmap for Self-Reflection |
| title_fullStr | Augustine and Autobiography: Confessions as a Roadmap for Self-Reflection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Augustine and Autobiography: Confessions as a Roadmap for Self-Reflection |
| title_short | Augustine and Autobiography: Confessions as a Roadmap for Self-Reflection |
| title_sort | augustine and autobiography confessions as a roadmap for self reflection |
| topic | Augustine Confessions pedagogy education autobiography |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/6/1/139 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marksmscott augustineandautobiographyconfessionsasaroadmapforselfreflection |