St. Augustine's Confessions

In his Confessions, when Saint Augustine reads Ten Categories by Aristotle, he understands the complex philosophical ideas conveyed but does not understand the source of the meanings and messages in such texts; in contrast, when he reads the book of the apostle in the garden, he understands the meaning behind what he is reading and becomes closer to God by applying what he has read to alter his beliefs and values. The key difference between these dichotomous reading experiences is that the latter involves silence and subsequent self-reflection, inspiring Augustine to convert to Christianity. Thus, in order to experience spiritual bliss, reading with understanding is not enough; without silence and introspection, reading cannot be transformed

While reading it, Augustine is silent, utilizing his silence as a mechanism for introspection and simultaneously reflecting upon and altering his beliefs and values. Upon hearing the child repeating ‘Pick up and read,’ Augustine “seized [the book of the apostle], opened it and in silence read the first passage” on which his eyes lit (Augustine 153). In this scene, reading functions as an action prompted by divine command, and Augustine’s decision—whether intentional or not—to read in silence captures the sacred moment and allows him to look into himself and reevaluate his way of life by abandoning his lust. In contrast to his reading of Aristotle, his reading of the book of the apostle is brief and does not seek to analyze philosophy or interpret complex details—rather, Augustine seeks only spiritual bliss following a “profound self-examination,” in which he is unsure of any other solution but death to rid himself of “vain trifles and the triviality of the empty-headed” which torment him so (Augustine 151-152). After engaging in introspection, the passage is perfectly clear to Augustine and seems to apply directly to him, inspiring him to avoid “riots and drunken parties,” “eroticism and indecencies,” and “strife and rivalry” (Augustine 153). If Augustine had failed to look into himself beforehand, he would not have felt the anguish and doubt that forced him to interpret the reading on a deeper and more insightful level; moreover, his silence holds a special weight in that it allows him to look into himself directly, without the distraction of the external sound of his voice, and achieve a momentary oneness with God. “At once with the last words of this sentence, it was as if a light of relief from all anxiety flooded into [his] heart” and “all the shadows of doubt were