Gospel of John
Confessions 1-4
Confessions 5-9
Conference of the Birds
100

In this first miracle/sign of the Gospel of John, Jesus is the life of the party by doing this thing.

What is turning water into wine?

100

Augustine was born in this city.

What is Thagaste?

100

Augustine adopted this "academic" position that led him to suspend judgment on anything that he was uncertain about.

What is academic skepticism?

100
The Conference of the Birds is a poem in this mystical religious tradition.

What is the Sufi Muslim tradition?

200

In the prologue, Jesus is compared to this Greek concept.

What is logos?
200

Augustine, reflecting on his own childhood, believes that these "beings" are evil - consistent with his claim tha we inherit original sin.

What are babies?

200

This saint was the local priest for Augustine and his mother in Milan. He was also known to read quietly rather than out loud which was rare at the time.

Who is St. Ambrose?

200

The SiMorgh is a persian pun standing for this number of birds.

What is 30 birds?

300

Jesus asks the woman at the well for water and then offers her this thing.

What is "living water"?

300

Augustine argues that the ultimate motivation for wanting to steal pears is this. 

What is peer pressure?

300

This friend of Augustine would refuse to take bribes and was a church judge and teacher. He also used to be addicted to the Roman circuses.

Who is Alypius?

300

According to mystical traditions, the individual believer aims to achieve this thing with God.

What is union with God?

400

This woman who is the brother of Lazarus anoints Jesus's feet with costly perfume.

Who is Mary?

400

Augustine was influenced by this ancient religious tradition that he sought to distance himself from throughout his adult life.

What is Manicheaism?

400

According to Augustine, evil is not a substance. Instead, it is the privation of this thing.

What is goodness?

400

In the Dervish and the Princess story, the princess glanced at the dervish for this reason.

What is because she felt pity for the dervish?

500

In this type of prayer, Jesus prays for his own glorification, for protection for his believers, and for the paraclete/spirit to be upon his believers.

What is a priestly prayer?
500

In reading this book, Augustine decided that he wanted to pursue more philosophical learning.

What is Cicero's Hortensius?

500

In this insincere prayer, Augustine prays for this thing but not yet.

What is chastity?

500

The birds see this when they finally meet the Simorgh.

What is they see exactly 30 birds (themselves)?

600

This "doubting" disciple is the one who ends up stating the highest Christology (e.g., making the highest claim about Jesus).

Who is Thomas who says "my Lord, and my God."

600

Augustine argues that to love someone properly, we have to love them in what?

What is to love them in God?

600

Augustine, in book 8, points out that he is unable to convert because he has this disordered part of his psyche.

What is a disordered will?

600

This is the reason why the duck does not want to go on the journey.

What is becoming dirty and getting away from the clean poind?

700

This teacher and religious leader of the Jews ironically stated that it is better for one person to die than for the nation to die.

Who is Caiaphas?
700

This group of rabble rousers were causing all kinds of mischief in Augustine's school days.

Who are the wreckers?

700

Augustine encounters this "figure" in his vision right before he converts to the Christian faith

Who is Lady Continence?
700

In the moth and the flame story, the last moth is praised for doing this thing.

What is merging into the flame?

800
In the pool at this place, a blind man receives physical sight from Jesus, is persecuted by the religious leaders, and ends up gaining spiritual insight into who Jesus is.

What is Siloam?

800

According to the Manichean view, everything that exists has this.

What is matter/substance?

800
Augustine's mother Monica dies in this town as they were about to head back to Africa.

Where is Ostia?

800
In a story attached to this valley, a man loses his son after he is rescued but eventually dies after falling into a well.

What is the Valley of Detachment?

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