Rambo's Interdisciplinary Approach to Religious Conversion: The Case of St. Augustine

This dissertation illustrates the merits of an interdisciplinary approach to religious conversion by employing Lewis Rambo’s systemic stage model to illumine the process of St. Augustine’s conversion. Previous studies of Augustine’s conversion have commonly explored his narrative of transformation from the perspective of one specific discipline, such as theology, history, or psychology. In doing so, they have necessarily restricted attention to a limited set of questions and problems. By bringing these disciplines into a structured, critical conversation, this study demonstrates how formulating and responding to the interplay among personal, social, cultural, and religious dimensions of Augustine’s conversion process may eventuate in the consideration of issues previously unarticulated and thus unaddressed. Rambo (1993) formulates a model of religious change that consists of what he calls context, crisis, quest, encounter, interaction, commitment, and consequences. Change is explained by drawing upon the research and scholarship of psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and religionists, in conjunction with the contributions of theologians. This study unfolds in the following chapters: I. Introduction; II. Literature review of scholarship about conversion, with emphasis on explication of Rambo’s model; III. A description of the case of Augustine, drawn from a close reading of the Confessions; IV. Literature review of scholarship about Augustine’s conversion; V. Interdisciplinary interpretation of Augustine’s conversion; and VI. Implications for scholars of conversion, and for pastoral caregivers, as well as recommendations for future research. This dissertation demonstrates how Augustine’s conversion experience was deeply influenced by 1) psychological distress and crisis; 2) the quest to know himself and the divine; 3) interactions with significant others; 4) participation in Christian communities; 5) philosophical and cultural changes; and 6) the encounter with the divine. As such, this study reveals the value of interpreting Augustine’s conversion as an evolving process constituted in multiple factors that can be differentiated from one another, yet clearly interact with one another. It examines the implications of constructing an interdisciplinary approach to Augustine’s conversion narrative for both the academy and the Christian community, and recommends the use of Rambo’s model in studies of other cases of religious change.

Welland Canal Survey of Lands Abraham Augustine, 1837

Survey map and description of Jacob Augustine's land created by The Welland Canal Company. Included is a written description of the land along with a drawing of the land. The land surveyed is lot #26 in Humberstone.Noteable features include; canal, concession, line between Abraham and Jacob Augustine's land. The land totals 7 1/4 acres. Surveyor notes are seen in pencil on the map.

Welland Canal Survey of Lands Jacob Augustine, 1837

Survey map and description of Jacob Augustine's land created by The Welland Canal Company. Included is a written description of the land along with a drawing of the land. The land surveyed is lot #27 in Humberstone. Noteable features include; canal, concession, line between Neff and J. Augustine's land. The land totals 8 acres. Surveyor notes are seen in pencil on the map.

Effects of plant regulators on the growth and flowering of Saint Augustine grass plants

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of three plant growth inhibitors on the development and emission of floral rachis of Saint Augustine grass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntzel] plants. The study was carried out in a 15 month old lawn with the experimental plots being distributed in accordance with a complete randomized block design with four replications. The treatments consisted of sole application of trinexapac-ethyl (113, 226, 452, 678, and 904 g ai ha(-1)), prohexadione-calcium (100 and 200 g ai ha(-1)), and bispyribac-sodium (40 and 60 g ai ha(-1)) plus a check treatment in which the plants were not submitted to any of the plant growth inhibitors. The effects of those products were evaluated in terms of visual signs of plant intoxication, plant height, emission and height of floral rachises, and chip total dry matter production. All the plant growth inhibitors resulted in visible injury to the plants but these intoxication signs practically disappeared 28 days after the application. Trinexapac-ethyl at the dose of 904 g ai ha(-1) reduced plant height by 59.7%, the emission of floral rachis by 96.4%, and the amount of chip dry matter production by 87.7%. Plant growth inhibitors may reduce the number of times of lawn plants cutting up to 119 days after their application with no harmful effects on the plants visual aspect.

La evolución intelectual de la noción de materia en San Agustín de Hipona

El presente artículo estudia y analiza tanto el significado como la trayectoria intelectual de la noción de materia en el pensamiento de San Agustín, la cual, hallándose en un principio estrechamente unida a su interpretación del Génesis, termina por rebasar el ámbito estrictamente teológico para constituirse en una de las nociones claves para la comprensión de la metafísica agustiniana de la creación ex nihilo.

A memória da infância nas Confissões de Agostinho de Hipona : um caso de narrativa autobiográfica?

El artículo tiene por objetivo dar una pequeña contribución al debate sobre el carácter autobiográfico de las Confesiones de San Agustín, analizando el vínculo entre las unidades I,1-5 y I,6. Agustín, en I, 6, narra su infancia, pero el sentido de esta narrativa se entiende mejor cuando se lo ve como una metáfora para expresar los fundamentos de la gnoseología agustiniana. Además, y en correlación con el sentido de la narrativa de la infancia, el artículo propone un ejercicio hermenéutico, basado en la distinción entre Historia e historicidad, para contribuir a la comprensión del problema de la unidad de las Confesiones.

Augustine Casiday, Reconstructing the theology of Evagrius Ponticus. Beyond Heresy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2013, 267 pp., ISBN: 978-0-521-89620-1

Fil: Peretó Rivas, Rubén.

Prayer and song-book in honor of good mother St. Anne : to be used at St. Augustine's R.C. Church during the annual double novena before the Most Precious Relic Shrine from July 18th to July 26th, the feast of St. Anne.

Cover title.

The confessions of St. Augustine; books I-IX (selections)

"A selected bibliography": p. 55-61.

Answer to skeptics; a translation of St. Augustine's Contra academicos,

222.8 A9AK

The confessions of St. Augustine.

Mode of access: Internet.

Select anti-Pelagian treatises of St. Augustine & the acts of the second council of Orange;

Mode of access: Internet.