Aanstekelijke verhalen

de bekering van Augustinus

This paper investigates how Augustine construes the story of his own conversion as the culmination of a carefully crafted account of his formative years. Recent research on autobiographical memory suggests that such a construction is not incompatible with the authenticity of the memories, but focuse...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Author:Ineke Sluiter
Published: 2010
Volume:43
Pages:308-326
Language:Dutch
Periodical:Lampas
Number:4
ISSN:0165-8204
Format:Article
Topic:- Biography > Person and Life > Conversion / Baptism > Conversion > conversions
- Biography > Relations and Sources > Profane Latin authors > Sallust
- Biography > Relations and Sources > Latin Christian writers > Marius Victorinus
- Works > Confessiones > Conf. II > Conf. II, 4, 9 - Conf. II, 10, 18
- Works > Confessiones > Conf. VIII > Conf. VIII, 9
- Works > Confessiones > Topics > [Autobiographie, scénographie]
- Works > Confessiones > Topics > [Catilina]
- Works > Confessiones > Topics > Conversion
- Works > Confessiones > Topics > [Fils prodigue]
- Works > Confessiones > Topics > Memory
- Works > Confessiones > Topics > [Parabole du fils prodigue]
- Works > Confessiones > Topics > [Vol de poires]
Status:Active
Description
Summary:This paper investigates how Augustine construes the story of his own conversion as the culmination of a carefully crafted account of his formative years. Recent research on autobiographical memory suggests that such a construction is not incompatible with the authenticity of the memories, but focuses on their function in presenting a meaningful account of the present. After discussion of a number of earlier episodes, the paper concentrates on the succession of conversion narratives in book 8 and demonstrates their interrelationships and their protreptic effcts. The scenarios of conversion and coming-out are brought to bear on the Marius Victorinus episode. In the garden scene, Augustine is portrayed as a figure in whom aspects of Marius Victorinus, Nathaniel, Antony, Ambrose and Paul are reflected. The scenario of his conversion resembles that of the previous narratives in book 8 and evokes the prodigal son. It also echoes the earlier stories in its effect on the internal audience of the narrative and potentially in its effect on the reader.