St. Matthews Cathedral

Christian Formation

Christian formation is based on the ancient ministry of the Church to catechize, or instruct, its members. For adults at the Cathedral, formation happens on Sunday mornings, between services, in the Great Hall at 10:20am, called “Formation Hour.” Formation Hour typically includes a rich teaching, and occasionally includes concurrent classes like: Confirmation Preparation, Intro to the Cathedral, Baptism Preparation, etc.

Current Formation Classes: Sundays with Augustine: Talks & Conversations on the Confessions

led by Canon Austin

In the Great Hall on many Sundays, at 10:20 a.m.

The Confessions of Saint Augustine (A.D. 354–430) is, after the Bible, the most-read book in the history of Christianity. Over a couple of months, our Theologian-in-residence will lead us through the autobiographical first half of the volume. You can read in advance, if you want, and bring your questions, or just come to learn. If you want to get a copy, any translation would do; Canon Austin recommends the translation by Henry Chadwick, in the Oxford World’s Classics series, which is reliable, readable, and inexpensive.

Augustine writes his Confessions to God, and he begins with the mysterious beginnings of his own life, leading us through his youth and adulthood up to his baptism in A.D. 387. As he recounts his life, he asks God questions of the sort many people ask. He is ambitious and yet honestly questioning. For the decade of his 20s he lived in rejection of Christianity, and when he finally became persuaded of its truth, he still could not turn away from his sins and be baptized. 

Over the years, students of the Confessions have recognized that, despite living some 16 centuries ago, Augustine is surprisingly, in many ways, “just like us.”

These are the Sundays the class will meet:

October 19, Books I & II

October 26, Book III

November 9, Book IV

November 23, Book V

November 30, Book VI

December 14, Book VII

December 21, Book VIII

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