Although now popular and successful as a professor in the imperial city of Milan, Augustine at the age of thirty-two years continued to experience personal turmoil. Hearing that the Bishop of Milan, Ambrose, was a great orator, Augustine attended his sermons out of curiosity. He was interested in the style, and not in the content. A conversion of his mind slowly took place as Ambrose led him to an understanding of the Gospels. He began to attend church regularly, but was not yet thoroughly convinced. He said he wanted to be as certain of these things as he was that seven plus three equals ten. [Confessions 6:4]
Fresco of moral conversion: St Augustine's College, Australia
Moral conversion of Augustine
Alypius found a word for himself a few lines further, "He that is weak in the faith receive ye;" and together they went into the house to bring the good news to Monica. This was at the end of the European summer of the year 386.
Augustine's description of the "garden incident" - appearing vague and lacking in some desired details - in his Confessions has been described as "a theological interpretation of a past event, as an attempt to render his past coherent to his present self." Augustine prepared for baptism, and at Easter 387 received its cleansing waters at the hands of Ambrose. This baptism most probably took place in the ancient baptistery (now excavated and able to be visited) underneath the present Cathedral in Milan.
Links
The Conversion of Augustine. Extracts from the Confessions. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/aug-conv.html
The Conversion of Augustine. This is a scholarly coverage in The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Scroll down to the appropriate section. http://www.iep.utm.edu/augustin/#Conversion%20and%20Ordination
The Conversion of Augustine. One page from the web site of the Midwest Augustinians in the United States of America. http://midwestaugustinians.org/conversion-of-st-augustine
Bautismo (Spanish) - Después de las vacaciones del 386 Agustín dijo adiós al profesorado, y se retiró a la campiña , a Casiciaco, para dedicarse a estudiar, a escribir y a prepararse al bautismo. En la Vigilia Pascual del año 387 recibió el bautismo de manos de Ambrosio, juntamente con su hijo Adeodato y su amigo Alipo.http://www.oala.villanova.edu/agustin/conversion2.html AN1109