St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, was one of the greatest theologians of his time. He is still regarded in the highest manner. He was raised in a divided home, but through time he found the truth. He was always a superb student. He fully mastered Latin; however, he never grasped Greek. He was also very crafty in speech - a black-belt of rhetoric if you will. After his teenage flings and rebellions, he found a heretical sect in which he became involved for a while. He traveled and landed in Milan for a while where he met the bishop. He then discovered that Christianity was a suitable religion for a philosopher. Finally, via Bishop Ambrose, Augustine converted to Christianity in 386. Later, he wrote books such as – Confessions, The City of God, and De Doctrinia (On Christian Doctrine) – along with many others. He ultimately became a great Christian ambassador. St. Augustine was and still is a great Christian influence in what he said and did.
Saint Augustine (354-430) was born on November 13, 354, in Tagaste, North Africa (now Algeria), as Aurelius Augustinus. *1(Keifer 50). He was born into a divided home; his mother, Monnica (c.331-387), was a devout Christian, but his father was a pagan until late in life.*2 (Bradshaw) Monnica raised him in the way of Christianity; however, his father, Patricius (c.315-371), wanted him to have a good firm secular education; this is mostly what planted pagan ideals into his heart.
Augustine did have a very good education. When he was young, his mother trained him in the way of the Lord. He found something intriguing about Jesus even when he did not believe. Once when he was severely ill, he asked for baptism, but when he soon became well he refuted ever receiving it and therefore h...
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Portalié, Eugène. "Life of St. Augustine of Hippo." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 30 Jan. 2011 .
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St. Augustine considers his mother as a crucial factor in his conversion to Catholicism. However through the analysis of his Confessions it leads me to believe that St. Augustine’s mother was not a decisive figure. Monica was in the background keeping him in thought and prayer however Augustine’s watershed moments came as a result of his own examination of readings as well as his conversations with his friends and mentors. Therefore I argue that Monica had delayed Augustine’s baptism and it was his own experiences that allowed him to come to God.
Unlike other texts of the time, Augustine’s confessions are less of an epic tale or instructive texts, both of which soug...
One of the most documented and honest journeys to accepting Christ is presented in St. Augustine’s book, Confessions. He embarks on a mission to find truth and explains the many barriers he had to overcome to understand the greatness of God. Throughout the book, St. Augustine lays out different significant milestones that enabled him to overcome certain barriers of thought that he originally believed. These significant milestones included him meeting Ambrose the Bishop of Milan, the learning of Neoplatonism, meeting Simplicianus and Ponticianus which lead him soon after to convert, and finally reaching the end of his journey to Catholicism when he becomes baptized. Each of these milestones presented a realization that played a significant
From Augustine’s experience we can see that knowledge is critical, and sometimes even more important than correct opinion. Although both of them could lead people to success, knowledge is more reliable and long-standing. God prompted Augustine to transform from a Manichee to a Christian. Such transformation requires Augustine to have deeper understanding from the soul, is not what merely correct opinion could bring about. Augustine once feared that he would not manage to find the truth, but his faith in God enables him to acquire knowledge and approach the truth. Augustine’s reflection made him a person closer to God.
He goes to his two friends Ponticianus and Simplicianus, asking them about their conversions looking to see what they experienced and what they had to give up from their lives. First came the conversation with Simplicianus, where the two then talked over the works of Plato as Augustine recalls how “fortunate I was to not have stumbled on the writings of other philosophers” because their writings were lacking in honesty and general credibility. This helps to convince Saint Augustine of the benefits of living in the catholic faith because Plato’s writing consistently trended toward being about “the truth of God and his Word.” Later on into Book VIII we come to the conversation with Saint Augustine’s other friend, Ponticianus. The conversation with Ponticianus was mainly associated with the wonders of being a Catholic and the many incredible tales of those who follow in the Catholic faith. He then recalls the Story of conversion of two court officials at Trier, maintaining Saint Augustine 's complete and utter attention, he spoke of an experience he had where two men had a religious epiphany when reading from a book. The book, “The Life of Antony”, made the men want to renounce their
Saint Augustine’s Confessions are a diverse mix of autobiography, philosophy, and interpretation of the Christian Bible. The first nine Books of the work follow the story of Augustine 's life, from his birth (354 A.D.) up to the events that took place just after his conversion to Catholicism (386 A.D.). Born and raised in Thagaste, in eastern Algeria, he has one brother named Navigius, and two sisters. His father, Patricus, a small landowner and an official of the local government is still a pagan. Monica, his mother is a devout Christian. Augustine starts off by praising to God and that it is the natural desire of all men. Yet Augustine does not have a lot of knowledge about God because he felt that he was powerless for God to come to him
Saint Augustine’s On Faith and the Creed breaks down the Apostles Creed and expresses the essence of the Christian faith. The 11 chapters within On Faith and The Creed express many truths of the faith. Chapter one explains the origin of the creed and object of its composition. The Apostles Creed is a sufficient summary of the faith for beginners and those who who are more diligent in their faith. Many heretics have tried to corrupt the interpretation of the Apostles Creed. Yet, since it is written according to the scripture, the Apostles Creed is based on complete truth. Chapter two expresses the fact that eternity is exclusive. Saint Augustine talks about how the Apostles Creed will not truly be understood or impact a person if they are not
St. Augustine is a man with a rational mind. As a philosopher, scholar, and teacher of rhetoric, he is trained in and practices the art of logical thought and coherent reasoning. The pursuits of his life guide him to seek concrete answers to specific questions. Religion, the practice of which relies primarily on faith—occasionally blind faith—presents itself as unable to be penetrated by any sort of scientific study or inquiry. Yet, like a true scientist and philosopher, one of the first questions St. Augustine poses in his Confessions is: “What, then, is the God I worship” (23)? For a long time, Augustine searches for knowledge about God as a physical body, a particular entity—almost as if the Lord were merely a human being, given the divine right to become the active figurehead of the Christian religion.
Augustines first book is devoted to his early childhood and his reflections on human origin, memory, and desire. His ideas of God were very much influenced by the religious teachings of his day.
Augustine. “Confessions”. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. 1113-41. Print.
William S. Babcock. The Ethics of St. Augustine: JRE Studies in Religion, no. 3. Scholars Press, Atlanta : 1991.
It therefore appears evident that God must be the root of all evil, as He created all things. However, Augustine delves deeper in search for a true answer. This paper will follow ...
A common thread of faith and reason runs through the two different theological visions of St. Augustine in his Confessions. This can be seen by comparing the ascent, the vision, the descent, and language in the two visions. Although other parts of the text will be referred to, the central part of these visions are as follows:Vision 1: "...
[1] Augustine. The City of God against the Pagans. Trans. R. W. Dyson. Cambridge, 1998.
Saint Augustine of Hippo was born on November 13, 354, in the town of Thagaste, which is now located in Algeria. His father was a pagan who converted on his death bed, and his mother was Saint Monica, whom was a devout Christian. In 370, he went to the University at Carthage to study rhetoric and wanted to become a lawyer. He gave up on law, and later on abandoned his Christian faith. He had a mistress with who he lived with for fifteen years and he had a son out of wedlock as well. He later, returned to his Christian faith, and on the death of his mother he returned to Africa, sold his property, gave all of his income to the poor, and founded a monastery at Tagas...