Chapter 11: St. Augustine’s Search for Self

Before I begin, I want to present a Socratic apology to my reader. This chapter contains the scattered seeds of ideas I have had in germination for several years. Both of my subjects, Augustine of Hippo and Carl Jung, are larger than life. Their complete works are huge. I recently gained the opportunity to study them in concert in my role as a fellow at the Eranos Institute. It is my hope that this essay can represent the sprouting buds of a complete theory of the important role of reading in the development of self in both Augustine and Jung.