The Bible and Western Culture - Part 1 - Augustine and the Christian Self

You can find The Confessions here: amzn.to/3w1mMO0
This is the official KZbin channel of Dr. Michael Sugrue.
Please consider subscribing to be notified of future videos, as we upload Dr. Sugrue's vast archive of lectures.
Dr. Michael Sugrue earned his BA at the University of Chicago and PhD at Columbia University.

[@thescoobymike]

Funny story. I decided to read the Confessions one day and I opened it to a random page. Sure enough, that random page was the part where Augustine talked about turning the Bible to a random page! Blew my mind lol

[@dhannivanda]

Bibliomancy. Randomness does not equal God inspired

[@thescoobymike]

@@dhannivanda I’m an atheist. I just thought it was a funny story

[@dhannivanda]

@@thescoobymike only god decides if a story is funny

[@sticlavoda5632]

​@@dhannivanda Everything is God inspired.

[@dhannivanda]

@thescoobymike totally joking around with this. Never will one hear more idiocy wwith "God inspired" idiocy coming from all corners.

[@grantscott9800]

God bless you and may you rest in peace Dr. Sugrue

[@rackedbound1648]

I miss him alot

[@dancingdiva5458]

I took a philospy class in college 20 year ago and recently discovered the textbook. I was a business major with a heavy course load so not alot of extra time. It is too bad you weren't a professor there. You have sparked my interest and intrigue again. I have been listening to your lectures at night instead of the news. It has given me a new perspective on the way I view government and it's roll in society. I plan on watching them all.

[@aklk9348]

Es

[@samerdarwiche]

Were can we find the text books that go with this series of lectures?

[@Nn0W0nN]

I agree!! It’s so easy to overlook the incredible wisdom that is found in philosophy in a culture that praises money power and rationality. I wish I had started serious and artful philosophical inquiries long before college.

[@fungdark8270]

My brother mentioned a philosophy textbook yesterday and I thought that sounds horrible! I sent him brother Michael’s channel

[@fungdark8270]

@@Nn0W0nNI was lost to that culture until this year, and lost to myself until a few weeks ago when I got into philosophy

[@jayfurrow2632]

Thanks!

[@thelordofgifts5343]

“Thus, a good man, though a slave, is free; but a wicked man, though a king, is a slave. For he serves, not one man alone, but what is worse, as many masters as he has vices.”

[@nightoftheworld]

35:12 _”Sometimes people ask: _*_’Well is the Bible to be interpreted literally or figuratively?’_*_ You ever heard that? You want to know the answer? Yes. It is to be interpreted literally and figuratively all at the same time. [...] The Bible is full of symbolism-but you find out what the symbol stands for and you literally believe it!”_ -Pastor Adrian Rogers

[@CorePathway]

Kangaroos and genocides keep me from being a believer. Can’t take the Bible literally because kangaroos exist, and didn’t hop over to the Ark. Can’t trust a God who revels in genocide, condemning souls to eternal torment. I’ve tried mightily, but the foundation is indefensibly rotten. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@cheri238]

RIP 🙏❤️🌎🌿🕊🎵🎶🎵

[@thinkneothink3055]

Carl Jung would have classified Augustine’s miracle passage from God as “synchronicity”, which suggests that forces other than the forces science has come to know, or ever could come to know, are at work behind the scenes in the Universe.

[@mb8kr]

Dr Sugrue, greetings and blessings to you from the birth place of saint Augustine, which is Algeria today.

[@shakeygraves1698]

Great lecture! Thank you professor. You're a very eloquent speaker, a real master of oratory. I've been following you since I saw your lecture on Marcus Aurelius. I think we would all like to see some of your contemporary lectures. I personally would love to hear your opinions on the dichotomy of chaos and order, moral relativism, and post modernism. Thank you for sharing this.

[@hunby5049]

@Indigo Child Indeed, an intellectual such as yourself would never be so disrespectful!

[@Tom-rg2ex]

@Indigo Child Then you should do better research, because he's alive. His daughter Genevieve records a ten minute podcast of him talking every week, it's called The Idea Store.

[@Gabingus69]

Yes

[@dekuscrub4330]

Thanks for this lecture I didn't know much about St Augustine. I have a copy of Confessions somewhere but as I am a slow reader and I only recently took an interest in Christianity I haven't read it yet. I'll have to move it up the list.

[@user-bd9ol1jv7u]

Religious faith demands not less than everything, it demands everything, that we can possibly put up. 👍 Thank you so much!

[@nhatnamphan9694]

1. Against manichaeism 2. Orginal sin 3. Rebirth into the eternal truth Grateful ❤

[@pearz420]

The first time I ever knowingly committed a crime as a child was oddly similar to Augustine's, except it was a giant jawbreaker instead of a pear. Pears was just my nickname.

[@tracywilliamsliterature]

I've been reading Augustine's Confessions since August... a really beautiful book... these lectures are wonderful!

[@kevinrombouts3027]

Oh this is so so good. I am drawn towards mysticism more than ever. Meister Eckhart is right up there as one of the greatest mystics.

[@CorePathway]

If religion isn’t mystical it a tool to manipulate the masses.

[@user-gl9jd3ih8h]

Brilliant!!! Thank you Dr Michael Sugrue. Clear, concise, passionate explanation of Confessions. It seems only appropriate that St Augustine progressed from earthly words (ego and pride bound) to the totality of the Word (God; all encompassing; perfect).And the last three books of Confessions should focus on the Bible - God has the final Word and gets to speak. The number "3" is considered a sacred number in Christianity - Jesus' ministry was 3 years; the Holy Trinity; Jesus died and was raised after 3 days; Peter denied Jesus three times and forgiven three times.

[@jameswiblishauser9745]

That was really excellent, makes me want to read the book. I'm thinking about it now anyway, as with the texts of the earlier lectures.

[@JulioLopez-xz5kx]

Thank you for these uploads. These videos has helped me immensely on my intellectual journey!

[@angelseye7492]

32:21 terrific note

[@MrMarktrumble]

Thank you

[@javadsiavashi7879]

Thank you... Just thank you

[@grapeshott]

For non-Christians, terms such as "Big Word", etc is unrecognizable. Plz explain what that means.

[@bloodwrage]

I think you heard incorrectly. He said “The Word” which is an allusion to our Savior, Jesus Christ. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

[@Forester-]

The Word of God=Jesus The word of God=scripture

[@chuimataisinglai8235]

I am proposing My research paper on Augustine and this lecture helped me a lot. thank you Professor

[@englishbiblereadings6036]

40:38 "Those who would seek God must be willing to put up all of the chips on one bet. You cannot bet a few chips, part of your life, part of your soul and say 'I'd like God on that basis'. God doesn't make deals."

[@mohammedkaplan2530]

Hi Michael, thank you for these interesting lectures! I think this course (the Bible and Western Culture) is missing 8 lectures (I could only find 16 lectures and I watched all of them with pleasure). Is this a Great Course? I tried to find it on their website but could not find it? Thank you again, Mohammed

[@drbonesshow1]

Did St. Augustine ever get a Friar's Club Roast?

[@davidfost5777]

I'm always looking for new interesting lectures on Psychology/Philosophy, please let me know if you guys have any recommendations, would be highly appreciated

[@cesardaia4912]

"Le précepteur, Chales Robin"

[@freudianslip2534]

This is lecture 11 of part 1

[@christinemartin63]

"Now" ... 😢

[@caiolmoraes]

Can I help with Portuguese subtitles for this video?

[@michaelteofilov9959]

Good one. Small correction - there was no division between Catholic (western) and Orthodox (eastern) church during Augustine's time.

[@maryhaddock9145]

Anyone else listened to this but have thought it through independently?

[@jacobzindel987]

Title says "Part 1" but the opening title says: "Part II, Lecture 11".

[@drbonesshow1]

When not getting a prize I liked in a box of Cracker Jacks, I blamed the Evil God. While enjoying the Cracker Jacks, I thanked the Good God. A little Cracker Jacks humor.

[@slushyslimshady]

Uploaded in August

[@isaiahbrowne2630]

Why does this say part 1? Is there a part 2?? Just wondering...

[@danielpincus221]

I keep wondering why the dates and locations of these lectures cannot be found anywhere. That's troubling to me. It's nothing to hide, and hiding it is wrong.

[@dr.michaelsugrue]

1992-1996. Suburbs of DC and DC itself

[@SteveVanRyn]

I was expecting- “St Augustine two two great books, City of God and The Confessions were written by anonymous author “..

[@FreddyMontana69]

I have this personal theory that if anyone was to suddenly become omniscient, omnipotent, immaterial and intemporal, he would basically do nothing with that power because he would see God's perfect plan and wouldn't want to alter it, or at the very least, if there is no God, he would see no point in changing anything because he would lose all earthly desires.

[@owlnyc666]

Every Christian had an experience that caused his conversion experience. Had nothing to do with his choosing. It was entirely due to the grace, the will of Jesus. If you are not a Christian it is because you were unlucky enough not to be graced by a conversion experience. It is not arrogant and hubristic to think the universe was created for humans and we are the only species created in "the image of Jesus".

[@havefunbesafe]

Do all sects of modernity Christianity/Catholicism (Lutheran, Protestant, 7th day, Mormons, etc...) believe in Original Sin? I'm trying to figure this out. Thanks!

[@krpcannon123]

no.

[@Philosophy.T]

No

[@Ionic457]

epic

[@lorenzoamaro1335]

Maybe the good life is so desirable that even all the evil in the world justifies itself.

[@boonga585]

4:08

[@LaszloRadanyi-sp7ib]

'Genesis happens every day..'

[@thecircumcisedheartofricha7344]

36:25

[@drbonesshow1]

Do cutting-edge intellectuals enjoy sharp cheese? If so, I like extra-sharp cheese.

[@drbonesshow1]

Gone are the days of girls who would save themselves for marriage.

[@mikewallis2987]

Similar to some gnostic ideas

[@JH-le4sd]

I honestly look a lot like this guy and am considering doing an homage/parody where I do one of his style talks on Scientology....

[@s3an_of_the_d3ad53]

Nowwwwww…

[@markrossow6303]

Manacheanism ~= Zoroastrianism, imho

[@davidconroy8554]

Personally I would rather be a Goat than a sheep.

[@doinkomcdooderthe7th880]

adam friedland lookin fly

[@bloodwrage]

Nah, don’t put him on that level. He’s a gentile and not a bug who eats dust.

[@davidconroy8554]

If you use Reason, is Jesus not a God? Does he not sit at the right hand of the father? That's a minimum of two Gods is it not?

[@dr.michaelsugrue]

Also a minimum of two chairs. God number three, the bird, gets a perch donated by those flightless birds of thought who are so baffled by non literal speech they couldn't find a non literal third chair. Shakespeare wrote that "Juliet is the Sun", to which you offer the devastating retort, "How can Romeo see her, she's 93 million miles away?"

[@davidconroy8554]

I have no problem with non- literary speech sir, I write enough of it. Who are the sheep and who are the Goats. Who is having wool and lamb chops?

[@davidconroy8554]

But of course, Reason is the Devil's whore.

[@dr.michaelsugrue]

@Dave the philosopher You have persuaded me that you write nonliterary speech. Jesus sits at the right hand of God because YHWH is left handed and He has Jesus reach out and grab things for Him, like herbivorous animals..

[@davidconroy8554]

How very true, and did you know that Koala bears can be quite vicious creatures, they have long claws and will tear the face of you if they feel threatened, it's only the conditioned and drugged up ones that are docile. Regardless, he has a duty to Nature.

[@mega4171]

19:56 God already knows where everyone is going, heaven or hell. It's a done deal... So an "all loving" creator created beings that he knew already would burn in hell for infinity. Got it 😂

[@musicnus]

If He did not know, He would not be GOD, Omniscient/All-Knowing.

[@mega4171]

@@musicnus Indeed. And since you failed to acknowledge the main point of my comment I assume that you too concede that he is not all-loving. Fair enough I agree

[@sangwaraumo]

I think I got it. What is the word? The word is the bird. Sorry, I had to. Loved the lecture though.

[@jayfurrow2632]

Thanks!