Question

Read the excerpt below and answer the question.

Behold, I answer to him who asks, What was God doing before He made heaven and earth? I answer not, as a certain person is reported to have done facetiously (avoiding the pressure of the question), He was preparing hell, says he, for those who pry into mysteries. (Confessions, Book XI, Chapter 12)

What is St. Augustine’s point in the above excerpt?
a)He mocks scholars who are guilty of laziness.b)He demonstrates the dangers of intellectual pride.c)He encourages readers to use their reason to explore mysteries. d)He reconciles Aristotle’s theory of time with medieval science.

Answer 1

b) He demonstrates the dangers of intellectual pride.

In this excerpt, St. Augustine mentions that he was once asked a question about what God was doing before he made Heaven and Earth. To St. Augustine, this was seen as questioning God by not accepting where the story of creation begins because of what could be considered pride. And, as you may know, pride and non-acceptance is what caused Lucifer to rebel. Thus, in a somewhat humorous fashion says his reply was “He was preparing Hell […] for those who pry into mysteries.” And, this is how he warns to not have such pride as it may, in the end, be condemning.

Answer 2

The answer is B: He demonstrates the dangers of intellectual pride.

St. Augustine knows that God has ways to communicate with humankind, which is through prayer, meditation, dreams etc. and is willing to answer questions and even curiosities. Nevertheless, there are matters in which man should acknowledge their limitation related to God's wisdom, mystery and purposes, and, being a creation, avoid a too high thinking that might interfere in God's knowledge.