Review of St Augustine's Sin
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Review of St Augustine's Sin
St Augustine’s Sin by Joe Baker is a critique of the Roman Catholic Church and Church of England based on a medieval theologian’s allegedly flawed literature. It is focused primarily on the purported " imposition of religion" in schools, which is a primary contributing factor to child abuse.
A difficult topic indeed, but it has to be said. Child abuse statistics in our churches have skyrocketed over the years, and according to this book, it can be traced to a doctrine by St Augustine of Hippo. He was a medieval theologian who helped lay the foundation that formed the thought of the modern church. He believed that all human beings are born sinful and must constantly strive to avoid lustful urges for the rest of their lives. According to the book, however, this doctrine has a terrible impact on children raised in the church or those who attended faith schools. It makes them more susceptible to abuse from people meant to teach and guide them.
I like how the author backed up his claims with facts and figures. His background research on St Augustine was detailed and informative. I found myself researching further on the medieval theologian. He also used his experiences to drive home his points about the worrying statistics of child abuse in churches.
However, there were a couple of things that didn’t sit well with me. Firstly, I believe the author’s attack on Christianity is pure vitriol. While I’m completely horrified by the trauma he suffered during his childhood and the shocking child abuse statistics, outright condemnation of an entire religion seems over the top, in my opinion. It got to the point where he was citing malicious information just to prove a point. For example, he gave examples of prolific child abusers, and Michael Jackson, the famous pop star, was one of them. In the author's words:
"Michael Jackson, who was raised a Jehovah’s Witness (he reportedly dropped out in 1987) was credibly accused of persistent child abuse".
I find this ludicrous as the late singer was never convicted of such crimes. A simple google search would show he was acquitted of all charges in 2015. Knowing he was acquitted but still involving his name in these heinous crimes is simply despicable.
Secondly, I believe campaigning for a reformation in faith schools would have been better than calling for an outright ban. The author seemed to deliberately focus on the ugly side of religious upbringing in children rather than on how instilling faith in young minds has helped shape them into upstanding citizens with moral compasses.
Overall, I would rate the book 3 out of 5 stars because I found it utterly contemptuous and mocking of the Christian faith. I did not spot any errors, so I can say it was professionally well-edited. Christians would do well to steer clear of this book as it is sacrilegious. I wouldn’t also recommend it to a younger/sensitive audience as the graphic descriptions of child abuse can be very triggering. I would recommend this book to parents or those who have young wards and might need to decide which schools their children would attend. If you are willing to keep an open mind, perhaps you can have a go at this book.
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St Augustine's Sin
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