Imitation and the Formation of the Soul in Augustine of Hippo

Abstract This paper examines Augustine's understanding of imitatio and its role in the formation of the soul. While seldom a central theme in his writings, imitation functions as a decisive undercurrent in his moral, metaphysical, and spiritual thought. Beginning with the ontological unease ( inquietudo ) that characterises the human heart, Augustine situates desire within a teleological horizon oriented towards the good, yet distorted by perversion, and redirected through aversio and conversio . I analyse the conceptual framework of imitatio in De musica , where imitation is described as a sensory and mnemonic act, and complement this with Augustine's account of memoria and intentio , which integrate rational and spiritual dimensions into human imitation. Three case studies from the Confessiones —the theft of the pears, envy of the beggar, and the conversion of Marius Victorinus—illustrate how imitation shapes desire and identity. The paper concludes by showing that imitatio is best understood as a via similitudinis , a pedagogical pathway through which the soul gradually attains resemblance to its divine origin.