Biblical Interpretation· 2026Q2
Tears of Comfort and Discomfort
- 0citations
- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Augustine's conversion and consolation in Confessions were facilitated by automatic, non-volitional crying, not just a determined will, according to a new reading through Erin Manning's theory of minor gestures.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Augustine's conversion in Confessions is re-examined through the lens of minor gestures theory.
- Crying is presented as an automatic, non-volitional gesture that assisted Augustine's conversion and consolation.
- The analysis focuses on the body's and emotions' constitutive role in key conversion and grief scenes.
- Seeing, groaning, and crying are identified as inceptive and disruptive gestures fostering attachment to God.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract In this article, I examine the role of tears in Augustine’s Confessions in the context of conversion and consolation through the lens of Erin Manning’s theory of minor gestures. In doing so, I offer a new reading of Augustine, where his conversion is not so much carried forward by a determined will as it is assisted by the automatic, non-volitional gesture of crying. The analysis focuses on the constitutive role of the body and emotions in Augustine’s accounts of being confronted with others’ conversions, his own hesitation about celibacy, and his grief over Monica’s death. I argue that, across these scenes, the acts of seeing, groaning, and crying function as inceptive and disruptive gestures that facilitate new and deepened attachments to God.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Biblical Interpretation, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Philosophy
PhilosophyArts and Humanities