在已存的《懺悔錄》研究文獻中,「無中創造」教義在此著作中的角色尚未得到足夠重視。本文論證:「無中創造」爲《懺悔錄》中上帝與被造物之間的關係提供神學基礎,並起到統一全書的作用。奧古斯丁對「無」的獨特理解尤其對靈魂以及整個被造世界回歸上帝的敘事起到奠基性作用。
Despite the considerable literature on Confessions, the crucial role of the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo in this classical work has not been sufficiently explored. This paper will argue that the doctrine of creation from nothing plays a fundamental, unifying role in Confessions, in that it provides the theological basis for the underlying theme of the book, namely the relation between God and creatures. Specifically, not only does this doctrine undergird Augustine’s understanding of God’s simultaneous transcendent and immanent relation to creatures, but his distinctive interpretation of creatio ex nihilo is foundational to his narrative of the soul’s journey back to God, a microcosm of the whole creation’s movement toward God.