"Let Me Know You-- ": Reflections on Augustine's Search for God

One of Augustine's earliest prayers after his conversion was a prayer to understand himself and to discover God. He came to realize that all of us follow more or less the same path of discovery, a path that begins in darkness and moves toward wisdom. Although few achieve the perfection of wisdom, we can be certain that we are showing our love for God by reaching out in love to our fellow human beings. In "Let Me Know You" Father Burt offers a rare reflection on the seven steps in Augustine's journey towards the vision of God and suggests that they are also the stages we must go through in order to finally "see" the God of love for ourselves.

Chapters are "Darkness," "Pious Listening," "Knowledge: The Path out of Darkness," "Fortitude," "Love," "The Need for Purification," and "Loving a Still Hidden God."

Donald X. Burt, OSA, PhD, professor emeritus of philosophy at Villanova University, has published widely on the philosophy of St. Augustine. His most recent books include "Let Me Know Myself. . .," The Pilgrim God, and The River: Augustinian Reflections On a Flowing Life, published by Liturgical Press.