I just answered this question in another category of questions.  Augustine mentions his mother 's love as "unspiritual" in Book V of the "Confessions."  He is departing Carthage for Rome and speaking about the differences between spiritual and intimate love/relationships.  The sentence about his mother is in the context of an extended discussion about spirituality and the love involved in it.  His mother and closest friends are classed together as engaged in "intimate" love relationships with him (and I am not referring at all to anything sexual).  But those relationships, no matter how close, are not spiritual in Augustine's view.  Context here is all important to avoid any kind of disrespect to Augustine's mother, although she was not happy with his long relationship with a concubine by whom he had a son.  She wanted Augustine to marry legitimately and live a better life, but there is no sign of open conflict between them.

Thank you Aysha.

Best regards

Peter

Hello Aysha, 

Please explain your statement as follows.

"Context here is all important to avoid any kind of disrespect to Augustine's mother, although she was not happy with his long relationship with a concubine by whom he had a son."

As a concubine is always a woman, you may kindly revise your statement to make sense.

All the best,

Sibaprasad