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Augustine of Hippo (Latin: Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. After a rather unremarkable childhood, marred only by a case of stealing pears, Augustine drifted through several philosophical systems before converting to Christianity at the age of thirty-one. His writings influenced the development of Western philosophy and Western Christianity, and he is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers of the Latin Church in the Patristic Period. His many important works include The City of God, On Christian Doctrine, and Confessions.
Jan 7, 2023: LMT Online: St. Augustine to celebrate 95th year of education
St. Augustine was allegedly founded by the Oblates and the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1927. It was named in honor of Aurelius Augustinus (also known as Augustine of Hippo or Saint Augustine): one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity.
St. Augustine was allegedly founded by the Oblates and the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1927. It was named in honor of Aurelius Augustinus (also known as Augustine of Hippo or Saint Augustine): one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity.
“There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future.” ― St. Augustine
Feb 3, 2023: The Critic: The end of Christendom
St Augustine, his pupil, responded likewise to a Gothic invasion of Rome. In his City of God, he wrote that the Goths, many of whom had converted to Christianity, spared those who fled to the churches: “The reliquaries of the martyrs and the churches of the apostles bear witness to this; for in the sack of the city they were open sanctuary for all who fled to them, whether Christian or Pagan. To their very threshold the bloodthirsty enemy raged; there his murderous fury owned a limit.”
The sanctuary found there involved not only the sacral geography of the churches built upon relics, but in the spiritual community of Christendom. Even as pagan witnesses lamented the fall of the Roman Empire, Augustine could see the embryonic birth of something greater — a moral and fraternal empire built on shared belief and shared love.
St Augustine, his pupil, responded likewise to a Gothic invasion of Rome. In his City of God, he wrote that the Goths, many of whom had converted to Christianity, spared those who fled to the churches: “The reliquaries of the martyrs and the churches of the apostles bear witness to this; for in the sack of the city they were open sanctuary for all who fled to them, whether Christian or Pagan. To their very threshold the bloodthirsty enemy raged; there his murderous fury owned a limit.”
The sanctuary found there involved not only the sacral geography of the churches built upon relics, but in the spiritual community of Christendom. Even as pagan witnesses lamented the fall of the Roman Empire, Augustine could see the embryonic birth of something greater — a moral and fraternal empire built on shared belief and shared love.
Nov 7, 2020: The Catholic Thing: Augustine’s True Story
One of the handful of books every liberal education must have at its center is Saint Augustine’s Confessions. Augustine was a man of wide learning, of excellent and elaborate Latin style, whose life was itself one of the greatest adventure stories ever told. The Confessions is one of the first great Christian epics in prose. The professor who opens to its first books is bound to feel a little embarrassed, therefore, to see the scorn Augustine heaps upon his own education precisely because it was all just a bunch of stories.
One of the handful of books every liberal education must have at its center is Saint Augustine’s Confessions. Augustine was a man of wide learning, of excellent and elaborate Latin style, whose life was itself one of the greatest adventure stories ever told. The Confessions is one of the first great Christian epics in prose. The professor who opens to its first books is bound to feel a little embarrassed, therefore, to see the scorn Augustine heaps upon his own education precisely because it was all just a bunch of stories.
“Ye have not chosen me,” He says, “but I have chosen you.” Grace such as that is ineffable. For what were we so long as Christ had not yet chosen us, and we were therefore still destitute of love? For he who hath chosen Him, how can he love Him? Were we, think you, in that condition which is sung of in the psalm: “I had rather be an abject in the house of the Lord, than dwell in the tents of wickedness”? Certainly not. What were we then, but sinful and lost? We had not yet come to believe on Him, in order to lead to His choosing us; for if it were those who already believed that He chose, then was He chosen Himself, prior to His choosing. But how could He say, “Ye have not chosen me,” save only because His mercy anticipated us?
Here surely is at fault the vain reasoning of those who defend the foreknowledge of God in opposition to His grace, and with this view declare that we were chosen before the foundation of the world, because God foreknew that we should be good, but not that He Himself would make us good. So says not He, who declares, “Ye have not chosen me.” For had He chosen us on the ground that He foreknew that we should be good, then would He also have foreknown that we would not be the first to make choice of Him. For in no other way could we possibly be good: unless, forsooth, one could be called good who has never made good his choice. What was it then that He chose in those who were not good? For they were not chosen because of their goodness, inasmuch as they could not be good without being chosen. Otherwise grace is no more grace, if we maintain the priority of merit. Such, certainly, is the election of grace, whereof the apostle says: “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant saved according to the election of grace.” To which he adds: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace.” Listen, thou ungrateful one, listen: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.” Not that thou mayest say, I am chosen because I already believed. For if thou wert believing in Him, then hadst thou already chosen Him. But listen: “Ye have not chosen me.” Not that thou mayest say, Before I believed I was already doing good works, and therefore was I chosen. For what good work can be prior to faith, when the apostle says, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin”? What, then, are we to say on hearing such words, “Ye have not chosen me,” but that we were evil, and were chosen in order that we might be good through the grace of Him who chose us? For it is not by grace, if merit preceded: but it is of grace: and therefore that grace did not find, but effected the merit. --St Augustine
Here surely is at fault the vain reasoning of those who defend the foreknowledge of God in opposition to His grace, and with this view declare that we were chosen before the foundation of the world, because God foreknew that we should be good, but not that He Himself would make us good. So says not He, who declares, “Ye have not chosen me.” For had He chosen us on the ground that He foreknew that we should be good, then would He also have foreknown that we would not be the first to make choice of Him. For in no other way could we possibly be good: unless, forsooth, one could be called good who has never made good his choice. What was it then that He chose in those who were not good? For they were not chosen because of their goodness, inasmuch as they could not be good without being chosen. Otherwise grace is no more grace, if we maintain the priority of merit. Such, certainly, is the election of grace, whereof the apostle says: “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant saved according to the election of grace.” To which he adds: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace.” Listen, thou ungrateful one, listen: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.” Not that thou mayest say, I am chosen because I already believed. For if thou wert believing in Him, then hadst thou already chosen Him. But listen: “Ye have not chosen me.” Not that thou mayest say, Before I believed I was already doing good works, and therefore was I chosen. For what good work can be prior to faith, when the apostle says, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin”? What, then, are we to say on hearing such words, “Ye have not chosen me,” but that we were evil, and were chosen in order that we might be good through the grace of Him who chose us? For it is not by grace, if merit preceded: but it is of grace: and therefore that grace did not find, but effected the merit. --St Augustine
St. Augustine's Relativistic Theory of Time
The story is often told that when St. Augustine was asked this, he replied, “God was creating hell for people who ask such questions.” Some find this response amusing. Others see it as a perfect illustration of how religion discourages the asking of questions and requires blind faith of its adherents. But here’s the thing: St. Augustine never said this and, in fact, severely criticized the person who did. Here is what the saint actually said:
I do not give the answer that someone is said to have given (evading by a joke the force of the objection), “He was preparing hell for those who pry into such deep subjects.” . . . I do not answer in this way. I would rather respond, “I do not know,” concerning what I do not know than say something for which a man inquiring about such profound matters is laughed at, while the one giving a false answer is praised. This is a wonderful statement and completely characteristic of that great Church Father. Far from seeing faith as putting an end to questions, St. Augustine saw faith as a spur to inquiry. In one of his commentaries on the Gospel of John, he famously wrote: “For understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe so that you may understand.” (Church Life Journal 2/7/20) Read More>>>>>
The story is often told that when St. Augustine was asked this, he replied, “God was creating hell for people who ask such questions.” Some find this response amusing. Others see it as a perfect illustration of how religion discourages the asking of questions and requires blind faith of its adherents. But here’s the thing: St. Augustine never said this and, in fact, severely criticized the person who did. Here is what the saint actually said:
I do not give the answer that someone is said to have given (evading by a joke the force of the objection), “He was preparing hell for those who pry into such deep subjects.” . . . I do not answer in this way. I would rather respond, “I do not know,” concerning what I do not know than say something for which a man inquiring about such profound matters is laughed at, while the one giving a false answer is praised. This is a wonderful statement and completely characteristic of that great Church Father. Far from seeing faith as putting an end to questions, St. Augustine saw faith as a spur to inquiry. In one of his commentaries on the Gospel of John, he famously wrote: “For understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe so that you may understand.” (Church Life Journal 2/7/20) Read More>>>>>
Did Augustine Lead the Ancient Church Astray?
I am attracted to Augustine for many reasons, including the notion that I think a contemporary Christian philosopher needs to hitch their wagon to a robust philosophical-theological tradition within Christendom. In such a system, philosophy serves as a handmaid to historic Christian theology. And for me as an evangelical Protestant, Augustine in particular and the tradition of Augustinianism in general comprise a vibrant orthodox system of Christian thought. While Augustine’s ideas aren’t without reasonable theological challenges and difficulties, I think Augustine and the broad tradition that bears his name got the most important doctrinal issues right (God, creation, sin, salvation) and they reflect a broad ecumenical part of Western Christendom. (Reasons To Believe 2/4/20) Read More>>>>>
I am attracted to Augustine for many reasons, including the notion that I think a contemporary Christian philosopher needs to hitch their wagon to a robust philosophical-theological tradition within Christendom. In such a system, philosophy serves as a handmaid to historic Christian theology. And for me as an evangelical Protestant, Augustine in particular and the tradition of Augustinianism in general comprise a vibrant orthodox system of Christian thought. While Augustine’s ideas aren’t without reasonable theological challenges and difficulties, I think Augustine and the broad tradition that bears his name got the most important doctrinal issues right (God, creation, sin, salvation) and they reflect a broad ecumenical part of Western Christendom. (Reasons To Believe 2/4/20) Read More>>>>>
Who Was Augustine and Why Was He Important?
Augustine is almost universally loved by Christians. Indeed, those who find cause to reject Augustine often do so based on a particular issue they find problematic in his teachings. Rarely is someone a full-blown anti-Augustinian. Certainly for all Western Christians Augustine is an unrivaled figure in the history of Christian reflection. Indeed, there is hardly a subject that is not shaped by his writings and ministry. We actually know a great deal about Augustine’s life, his world, and his body of writings. This is due largely to the fact that Augustine gave us maps to his life: first in his spiritual autobiography (Confessions) and then late in life he left a list of his theological writings. When compared with others from his day, we seem to know every twist and turn of his journey. (Gospel Coalition 5/25/16) Read More>>>>>
Augustine is almost universally loved by Christians. Indeed, those who find cause to reject Augustine often do so based on a particular issue they find problematic in his teachings. Rarely is someone a full-blown anti-Augustinian. Certainly for all Western Christians Augustine is an unrivaled figure in the history of Christian reflection. Indeed, there is hardly a subject that is not shaped by his writings and ministry. We actually know a great deal about Augustine’s life, his world, and his body of writings. This is due largely to the fact that Augustine gave us maps to his life: first in his spiritual autobiography (Confessions) and then late in life he left a list of his theological writings. When compared with others from his day, we seem to know every twist and turn of his journey. (Gospel Coalition 5/25/16) Read More>>>>>