would get in the way of her son’s ambitions—or rather, in the ways of his parent’s ambitions for him. In all fairness, Augustine ascribes this motivation fully only to his father—“who basically had no thought for You.” His mother, he claims, also thought that his mastery of language arts would contribute not only toward his secular career but also to his eventual turning toward God. She was right on that score, but the paths that brought Augustine to God would be more crooked than even she had imagined.