The Hermeneutics of the Mirror in the Confessions of Augustine of Hippo

discourse, self-interpretation, and the reception of Holy Scriptures

Abstract

The article analyzes the ontology of discourse and the hermeneutics of textual reception in Augustine of Hippo’s Confessions. The study investigates the paradox of human invocation in the face of divine ineffability, delimiting how the fallen speech of the creature can reach the perfection of the Creator without falling into idolatry. The general objective is to demonstrate that the Augustinian work does not constitute an autonomous autobiography, but rather a responsorial liturgy structured by the absolute priority of the Voice of God. As a working hypothesis, it is argued that the confessio becomes viable solely as a misappropriation of discursive authorship, wherein man uses the “mirror” of the Holy Scriptures to operate a self-interpretation, recognize his deformity (deformitas), and rewrite his identity in the region of dissimilarity (regio dissimilitudinis). Mobilizing fundamental concepts from the Patristic tradition, the text articulates the notions of self-accusation (accusatio sui) and praise of God (laudatio Dei) with the mechanics of making the truth (veritatem facere), in which confessing is equivalent to producing existence in the divine light. It is inferred that the Augustinian gesture establishes a choral and public liturgical space, expanding individual praise to the community of readers and to the totality of cosmic creation.