Given that Augustine is writing during the 300s–and from his own perspective as a male–it makes sense that he does not touch on gender roles or, for that matter, any women other than his mistresses and potential wife. Of course, women at this time likely had few personal freedoms, but it would have been interesting to hear about a woman’s experience in historical writings. 

    If I were writing my own autobiography, much of it would include details about how my experience is shaped by being a woman. I would be very intentional about discussing female adolescence and sexuality, especially in relation to changing gender norms and radical progress for queer people. It would also be impossible to not include references to today’s political situation (for example, Black Lives Matter). This is in part because politics are simply more embedded in modern society and even more heightened by Covid-19 and the political repercussions surrounding the virus. Simply put, it would be impossible to discuss my interactions within the world without expressing the distinct events regarding my gender and sexuality. Nothing comes to mind in particular that I would leave out of an autobiography, but, like Augustine, I would primarily discuss the people in my vicinity–namely, my family and friends. I would be unlikely to try and describe a situation from the perspective of someone with a different background or experience, given that I do not have adequate knowledge to do this. 

    As said before, Augustine rarely mentions women in his Confessions, likely not out of spite but as a reflection of women’s place in society. Though unintentional, this absence speaks volumes about how women were represented during the Middle Ages. While briefly talking about his future wife, he states that she is two years younger than the minimum for marriage, though he is willing to “wait” for her to become of age as she is “pleasing” to him. It is not surprising that he does not consider her own feelings about marriage as an (extremely) young woman, but still eye-opening to see him contemplate marriage merely as a vessel for moving up in society and gaining money. Augustine unintentionally describes women as limited to being a wife or mother, which undoubtedly reflects the actual roles for women at this time. 

Similarly, in his many descriptions of his religious and scholarly environment, he converses solely with men who probably share a nearly identical  background. It also appears that he only interacts with people who, like him, speak Latin, suggesting that they have similar educations and origins; his lack of exposure to people of different backgrounds, genders, or experiences also suggests a certain expectation (or perhaps requirement) for religious leaders and academic figures to originate from at least a mid-level position in society. 

    It is also interesting to note that while Augustine frequently mentions other religious scholars, he does not expressly refer to the Pope. He seems more intrigued by “local” figures–for example, Ambrose–rather than a single overarching leader. Augustine actually turns inward or to his companions for spiritual and academic guidance, which could suggest either a smaller position in general for the Pope or simply his own disregard of one higher figure. It does make sense that Augustine does not place full trust in someone like the Pope, given his struggle to understand God as a human-like being. While his faith wanes in and out, his respect and knowledge of God derives from seeing God as above humans, though he is often confounded by what shape this might take. In fact, Augustine rarely refers to anything political (which stands in high contrast with my own imagined autobiography, in which it would be unavoidable to mention politicians and presidents). His lack of political musings could just be a result that Confessions is about his own spiritual journey, but it would have been interesting to hear his perspective as a scholar during this time and how his choices were influenced by politics. 

    While obviously this perspective would not come from Augustine himself, it would be fascinating to read about someone who does not share his upbringing and place in society, especially in regards to how this shapes a relationship to God and spirituality. If he did not have the resources–one example being his ability to read Latin and access the Scriptures–his spiritual journey would have been very different. This also raises the question if only people like himself were enabled to explore their faith: this was, of course, a time when religion was at the forefront of culture, but Augustine was himself a religious scholar and devoted much of his time into pondering faith.