Review of St Augustine's Sin

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Ayorinde Joseph
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Review of St Augustine's Sin

Post by Ayorinde Joseph »

[Following is a volunteer review of "St Augustine's Sin" by Joe Baker.]
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4 out of 5 stars
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St Augustine's Sin is a non-fiction book written by Joe Baker. Joe examines the effect of St Augustine's doctrines on modern-day Christianity. He dissected the teachings of St Augustine and how they relate to the prevalent sexual lust among Catholics. The book expands on why sexual scandals are now rampant in Catholic schools, the factors behind them, and how they can be combated. According to several reports, the defilement of the under-aged is now rampant in religious institutions due to a lot of factors. Joe believed that this sin originated from Adam and Eve, and that disobedience was not in fact, the first sin committed on Earth. Adam and Eve were unmarried yet went ahead to procreate. Thus, even infants are stained with this sin from birth. Joe was raised by a Catholic mother and was made to attend Catholic boarding school in his early years. He had a series of encounters with Catholic priests which breeds his opinion that Augustine's teachings were toxic and should not be passed down to the younger generation. He also highlights various factors responsible for the high rate of sexual abuse in religious institutions, especially Catholic schools, and how best to combat these factors.

St Augustine's Sin is informative, and I find the author's thoughts and opinions fascinating. I was deeply impressed by the amount of research the author put into writing this book. He was able to back up his opinions with publications and research which added more credibility to his book. A lot of links are also provided in the book for readers to verify some facts stated in the book. I also like the detailed introduction at the start of the book. It gives the readers what to expect, and the details in each chapter of the book.

I commend the thoughts and resources put together in writing St Augustine's Sin. However, I dislike some things about the book. The writing style is too chaotic and incoherent, especially in the first couple of chapters. Some readers might even misunderstand the message being passed across. I also found fault with some of the author's opinions. For instance, in chapter 2, he said that Adam and Eve were unmarried before they started procreating. This is false because God specifically referred to Eve as Adam's bone of bones and the flesh of flesh. This means both have been joined together. I also found some errors while reading.

The book was informative, and the author's points are well backed up with well-conducted research and surveys. However, due to the faults stated above, I will rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. The faults are too significant to deduct a star.

I would recommend St Augustine's Sin to Catholic Christians. People who are familiar with St Augustine's teachings will also find the book interesting.

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St Augustine's Sin
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