Did the scene described by Augustine in book VIII of his Confessions actually take place? P. Fredriksen and L.C. Ferrari have tried to establish the purely fictitious character of the narrative which, to their mind, Augustine brought in so that he could make it fit with his apologetic and doctrinal interests in the year 397. Relying on the work of P. Ricoeur, the A. argues about their conclusions. In book VIII, Augustine does not present us with a bald fact but with its significance in God's light. This significance however would be elusive if the fact itself were not rooted in reality. The theological elaboration of the tale does not imply a fictitious restoration of past experience: it brings out the vital interaction between spiritual experience and theological reflection.
