Augustine's take on the Psalms

After reading Book Two in Saint Augustine’s book I find it easier to understand the purpose of the psalms and how they are read and interpreted. In the beginning of book two, Saint Augustine speaks of symbols and how they have great meaning to people. He speaks of different ways that symbols take form and how they can be interpreted. He speaks of music being a form of a symbol. The psalms were written to be used in song, making them a powerful symbol. This helps me to understand the power of the psalms during this time of a symbol of religion.
Also St. Augustine speaks of how there are different levels of belief and understanding in a religion. He speaks of the knowledge that one can gain when they are in the third stage. He says that when a person is in the third stage he understands the scripture and has a reading knowledge of it. I feel that, as a person that is not really religious, we have a reading knowledge. But the person in the third stage also has a belief in the truth of the religion and the word. With this belief the religious person will be able to read the bible without prejudice and will be able to believe it. This helps me understand how it is religious people are able to believe and have faith in what they are reading without passing little to no judgment on it. Overall, reading book two was helpful in understanding the importance of the symbolism used in the psalms and in understanding the religious people’s faith in the bible.