The ‘End’ of Memory: Memory, the Porous Self, and the Communion of Saints in Augustine's Confessions
Open accessAbstract
This article presents a brief, constructive, theological account of memory in response to contemporary questions regarding memory loss via Augustine's account of memory, which elucidates the remembering subject's openness and relatedness to God and the communion of saints. First, I examine Augustine's Confessions, showing how memory is embodied, affective, and cogitative, and that memory's end is in relation to God and the communion of saints. Afterwards, I consider the resonances between Augustine's account of memory and two threads of research in dementia studies—namely, the notion of the ‘embodied self’ and the concept of memory ‘extension’—in order to propose how such a reading of Augustine on memory might contribute towards theological accounts and responses to memory impairment or loss.
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- Authors
- Wu, A. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Wu, Abraham S‐C
- ORCID
- Wu, Abraham S‐C
- Venue
- International Journal of Systematic Theology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2023-09-08
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 251-273
- ISSN
- 1463-1652 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-2400
- OpenAlex
- W4386543921
- Cited by
- 0
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Journal of Systematic Theology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Augustinian Studies and Theology
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Karl Barth and Christian Theology
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Catholicism and Religious Studies
- Keywords
- Augustine of Hippo, confession, memory, memory loss, dementia, communion of saints, embodied self, memory extension, affect, memory impairment, theology of memory, relationship with God
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