More Than One Way

Toward the end of Book 1 of Confessions, Augustine writes: “There is more than one way of offering sacrifice to the fallen angels” (1.xvii[27]; trans. Chadwick).

While other Christians disputed the nature of Greek and Roman Gods – some thinking they were non-entities, nothings, just statues and nothing more and others thinking they were demons – Augustine settles clearly on the side that the Greek and Roman gods are the fallen angels, demons, setting themselves to be worshiped. Of course, one can worship the typical way: offerings sacrifices on altars.  One can offer up prayers.  He suggests, however, in this passage, it was the recitation of their stories for his classes that was itself a form of worship; the true worship is, instead, the recitation of praises found in scripture (the Psalms in particular are a favorite of Augustine).  Ironically, he often models his own experiences on the Aeneid.

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