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Document Details : Title: Ad christianam fidem pigrius movebatur (Conf. VII.XX(25)) Subtitle: Alypius' More Reluctant Move to the Christian Faith (Compared to Augustine) Author(s): VAN REYN, Geert Journal: Augustiniana Volume: 60 Issue: 3-4 Date: 2010 Pages: 193-234 DOI: 10.2143/AUG.60.3.3294606 Abstract : This second part investigates Alypius' understanding of his conversion to the Catholic faith between his conversion moment and baptism. Alypius' contributions in the Cassiciacum dialogues - for instance, his defence of the sceptic position, and his belief in the auctoritas Ciceronis - suggest that he was still very much moving within the context of traditional Roman ideology, having not yet fully grasped the radical nature of Augustine's conversion. Alypius' rejection of the latter's Christian interpretation of Fortuna's role (as gratia Dei) in man's life, and his resistance against including the name of Christ in their writings are further signs that he was reluctant to fully submit to the Catholic faith. Only towards the end of the Cassiciacum stay - presumably after having been further instructed by Augustine - Alypius seems to have become humble enough to do so, and to decide on baptism within the Catholic church. The strong hold traditional ideology had on Augustine's friends, but also on himself, can be witnessed in how he tried to persuade his non-Catholic friends to follow his example. He thereby propagated his new Christian way of life as the final realization of an earlier failed attempt to live together in philosophy (otium liberale). Initially, he wanted to set up a kind of Christian philosophical community of likeminded friends in the intellectual milieu of Milan. This plan failed, mainly because of lack of (financial) resources, seeing that none of his friends (apart from Alypius, and later Evodius) could be persuaded to participate in it. |
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