The Heart of Christianity Sunday School Lesson Questions for Sunday, 5 July 2015 at First United Methodist Church in San Diego, California, United States
Hi all,
I think this chapter deserves more than one week. I have lots of questions and discussion points.
Augustine – Chapter 8
1. This chapter is titled “ordered love”. Was there anything “ordered” about the way his mother [Monica] loved him?
2. Brooks says Augustine [Aug] was caught between 2 points of view – the Hellenistic and the Judeo-Christian.
a. Let’s spend some time discussing the differences between these 2 ideas.
i. Hellenistic = more “playful” – expects good and excellence – filled with sweetness and light. ii. Hebraism = focus on higher truth – conscious of sin – loyal to an immortal order – obedience to the will of God.
b. Which one fits your outlook best?
3. Aug wanted admiration and to be known throughout history. What does it say when a teenager desires those things?
a. Pg. 192 – wanting to be admired made him very sensitive to the opinions of others. Today we might call this an external locus of control.
4. Manichees pg. 190– belief that world is divided into Kingdome of Light and Kingdom of Darkness. In constant warfare. Sometimes some good gets caught up by the darkness.
a. This means God did not create evil.
b. I can claim my evil deeds are the result of the Darkness, not my fault.
c. Frees me of guilt.
d. Very logical
e. I can feel superior to others.
f. Practiced celibacy and diet restrictions.
5. He describes himself as full of passions, lusts and jealousies. But it was all about him.
a. Except for his common law wife. He mourned when his mom sent her away – but he didn’t stop her from going. He sacrificed her for social standing, but kept his son.
b. His new wife was only 10, and legal age for marriage was 12. So Aug took concubine for the interim.
c. Do we ever sacrifice for social standing??
6. Pg. 195 – the pears
a. Aug says original sin perverts us. We want the wrong things. We do things that we know are bad for us in the long run just for short term pleasure. I recognize this in myself but I don’t believe in original sin. I think it’s just human nature. What about you?
b. Aug remembers stealing pears “just because”. Says we commit small perversities all the time. Do you agree?
7. Pg 196 - “We so fear exclusion from the group that we are willing to do things that we would find unconscionable in other circumstances. When unattached to the right ends, communities can be more barbarous than individuals.”
a. I think we see this all the time. Why? Is it really all about fear of exclusion??-
8. Looking within, Aug. says the mind reaches toward infinity. There must be a higher power.
a. Quits the Manichees. Says all is not good or evil, but some mixing occurs. Our souls are shadowed places. Pg.197
b. He wanted to be better, but didn’t want to give up anything. Isn’t this what confounded some people in Jesus’ time when he told them to give up everything and follow me.
9. Pride – pg. 198… Aug says pride is what makes us think we can control our lives. Do you agree or disagree?
10. Are you solipsistic?
11. Aug wanted to live a good life but didn’t want to give up stuff he liked. So he delayed. Have you ever done something like that?
a. Finally in the garden scene (Gethsemane??) he rises above his “stuff” and looks for a higher set of joys. Pg. 203.
b. But he continued to be politically active and, as Brooks puts it “engaging in brutal and sometimes vicious public controversies.” Wasn’t that power part of his stuff?
12. Aug believed we are not able to live well on our own, we find order and proper love only by submission. By grace. Pg. 207 – “It’s surprisingly difficult to receive a love that feels unearned.” Has that been your experience?
13. Pg. 210 – Monica and Aug have a last conversation just before she dies. Aug describes this as a perfect moment of elevation with self-emptying. To me this sounds like a moment when God is near. Have you had such moments? Have they come as a result of another person?
Lembi Saarmann, RN, EdD
Professor Emerita
School of Nursing
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-4158
Cell: 619-987-1604
Email: Lsaarman@mail.sdsu.edu
____________________________
Hi all,
I think this chapter deserves more than one week. I have lots of questions and discussion points.
Augustine – Chapter 8
1. This chapter is titled “ordered love”. Was there anything “ordered” about the way his mother [Monica] loved him?
2. Brooks says Augustine [Aug] was caught between 2 points of view – the Hellenistic and the Judeo-Christian.
a. Let’s spend some time discussing the differences between these 2 ideas.
i. Hellenistic = more “playful” – expects good and excellence – filled with sweetness and light.
ii. Hebraism = focus on higher truth – conscious of sin – loyal to an immortal order – obedience to the will of God.
b. Which one fits your outlook best?
3. Aug wanted admiration and to be known throughout history. What does it say when a teenager desires those things?
a. Pg. 192 – wanting to be admired made him very sensitive to the opinions of others. Today we might call this an external locus of control.
4. Manichees pg. 190– belief that world is divided into Kingdome of Light and Kingdom of Darkness. In constant warfare. Sometimes some good gets caught up by the darkness.
a. This means God did not create evil.
b. I can claim my evil deeds are the result of the Darkness, not my fault.
c. Frees me of guilt.
d. Very logical
e. I can feel superior to others.
f. Practiced celibacy and diet restrictions.
5. He describes himself as full of passions, lusts and jealousies. But it was all about him.
a. Except for his common law wife. He mourned when his mom sent her away – but he didn’t stop her from going. He sacrificed her for social standing, but kept his son.
b. His new wife was only 10, and legal age for marriage was 12. So Aug took concubine for the interim.
c. Do we ever sacrifice for social standing??
6. Pg. 195 – the pears
a. Aug says original sin perverts us. We want the wrong things. We do things that we know are bad for us in the long run just for short term pleasure. I recognize this in myself but I don’t believe in original sin. I think it’s just human nature. What about you?
b. Aug remembers stealing pears “just because”. Says we commit small perversities all the time. Do you agree?
7. Pg 196 - “We so fear exclusion from the group that we are willing to do things that we would find unconscionable in other circumstances. When unattached to the right ends, communities can be more barbarous than individuals.”
a. I think we see this all the time. Why? Is it really all about fear of exclusion??-
8. Looking within, Aug. says the mind reaches toward infinity. There must be a higher power.
a. Quits the Manichees. Says all is not good or evil, but some mixing occurs. Our souls are shadowed places. Pg.197
b. He wanted to be better, but didn’t want to give up anything. Isn’t this what confounded some people in Jesus’ time when he told them to give up everything and follow me.
9. Pride – pg. 198… Aug says pride is what makes us think we can control our lives. Do you agree or disagree?
10. Are you solipsistic?
11. Aug wanted to live a good life but didn’t want to give up stuff he liked. So he delayed. Have you ever done something like that?
a. Finally in the garden scene (Gethsemane??) he rises above his “stuff” and looks for a higher set of joys. Pg. 203.
b. But he continued to be politically active and, as Brooks puts it “engaging in brutal and sometimes vicious public controversies.” Wasn’t that power part of his stuff?
12. Aug believed we are not able to live well on our own, we find order and proper love only by submission. By grace. Pg. 207 – “It’s surprisingly difficult to receive a love that feels unearned.” Has that been your experience?
13. Pg. 210 – Monica and Aug have a last conversation just before she dies. Aug describes this as a perfect moment of elevation with self-emptying. To me this sounds like a moment when God is near. Have you had such moments? Have they come as a result of another person?
Lembi Saarmann, RN, EdD
Professor Emerita
School of Nursing
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-4158
Cell: 619-987-1604
Email: Lsaarman@mail.sdsu.edu
____________________________
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