Review of St Augustine's Sin

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Maruo Moitheyi
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Review of St Augustine's Sin

Post by Maruo Moitheyi »

[Following is a volunteer review of "St Augustine's Sin" by Joe Baker.]
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5 out of 5 stars
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St Augustine's Sin by Joe Baker was written by a man who sees little value in faith-based education in schools. He says, "In England three in ten live in areas with little or no choice but a faith school and every year 20,000 pupils are assigned faith schools against their families’ preferences." This fact is troubling since it means that some impressionable young mind is forced to learn a faith that doesn't necessarily align with their background or upbringing. The book tackles what this means for the future of these children, and the author uses his experiences of attending a Catholic school to show how he was affected by that type of education. St Augustine's view on sin and sexuality is the basis of the book. I must mention that Lorna Graham contributed to the book by authoring the 13th and 14th chapters.

It's fascinating that religious education still exists in some parts of the world. I understand the existence of faith-based schools, but I feel that these should only cater to those students whose parents see it as a viable alternative. The author of this book doesn't share this thought, however. He believes that faith-based education should be done away with because of several underlying issues that arise from being taught Augustinian theology at a young age. St Augustine believed that every child is born a sinner, and faith-based schools hammer this idea into the minds of children until they believe it. The author explains why this is a huge problem.

The book also focuses on clerical child sexual abuse. Many are aware of the sexual abuse that countless children have suffered at the hands of church elders in institutions like Catholic schools, and the author believes that certain cultures within those institutions promote these deplorable acts. And these cultures are dealt with in the book.

Personally, I found the book to be informative. I understood the author's stances, some of which were informed by his personal experiences. I don't agree with everything he says because I feel that faith-based schools have a place in our societies. Of course, these issues that mar these sorts of institutions should be dealt with and eradicated, but I know that some religious parents still see value in religious education. I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars because I couldn't find any points to criticise. It's a book that was written very well. The author made his case and gave enough reasons to make his points valid. I found no errors in the book, which means that it was edited phenomenally well, and this helped with my rating as well.

I would recommend the book to those people who want to see faith-based education from the eyes of someone who is against it. As people, we often consume materials that align with our beliefs, but I believe that we learn more when we challenge our beliefs and look at them from a completely different perspective. This book could give religious people something to ponder, and it could give them a perspective they don't have yet.

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St Augustine's Sin
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