On Love, Confession, Surrender and the Moral Self by Ian Clausen

Author:Ian Clausen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

4

Escaping the Folly of Manichaeism

“True Religion”

In Chapter 3, we pursued a new reading of The Academics, framing it as an important first step to the moral self (“knowing”). In this chapter, we pursue the next step in this journey by exploring Augustine’s argument against the Manichees. A natural point of connection is the treatise True Religion (AD 390–1). Alluded to already in The Academics, it is officially Augustine’s follow-up with his friend Romanianus. In addition, it marks the high point of his early theological development: a moment when Augustine starts to draw his thoughts together. Its purpose as pledged is simple enough: liberate Romanianus from the shackles of Manichaeism, ease his surrender to the easy yoke of Christ (Van Fleteren ATTA, 864). Only this time, Augustine will direct his friend’s steps to re-claim his position before God as a creature (“being”).

In trying to raise up Romanianus to the creature, Augustine begins by summoning him down from the “mountain” (pride) and inviting him to enter “the place of security” (Chapter 2, section “Locating “Christ in the early works”), namely confession and communion with the Church. Once again, it begins with the command to “ask, seek, knock.” “Accordingly, let us make haste and walk while we still have the daylight, in case the dark should overtake us. Let us make haste to be delivered from the second death, in which there is no one who remembers God, and from hell, where nobody will confess to God” (TR 52.101, citing Jn. 12:35, Rv. 20:14, Ps. 6:5). Recall the situation of Romanianus at the time: a Manichee still clinging to the claim of enlightenment. As we saw in Chapter 3, the Manichees indulge pride by causing us to think that we have already “found some truth.” This dissuades us from even seeking the truth, making us reject Christ’s command altogether. Such pride fits a pattern tracing back to Genesis 3, a text Augustine begins to feature more in True Religion. He will again urge Romanianus to wake up, stand upright, and surrender himself fully to the pursuit of wisdom and truth. It is time for him to step out from hiding, he urges, and reckon with the truth of his condition in the world: a fallen, limited, but rational creature.

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