St. Augustine

Augustine was known as the theologian of “Grace”. He lived during the time 354-430 A.D. He was born in northern Africa of a pagan father (Patricius) and devout Godly mother (Monica). Augustine excels as a student, especially in the art of rhetoric.

His Conversion: Augustine lived a very worldly life. His quest for true found its satisfaction in the person of Christ. The saving grace of Christ became the center of his theology. This personal search for truth is discussed in his writing “confession”. The confession was one of the profound spiritual autobiographies of history where he explains his conversion experience.

 One of Augustine greatest hurdle was the problem of evil. His question was how could a good God permit a world filled with evil, pain, suffering? He thought that he found the answer in Manichaeism (He was the follower of Manichaeism: The fundamental doctrine of Manichaeism is its dualistic division of the universe into contending realms of good and evil: the realm of Light (spirit), ruled by God, and the realm of Darkness (matter), ruled by Satan. Originally, the two realms were entirely separate, but in a primal catastrophe the realm of Darkness invaded the realm of Light, and the two became mixed and engaged in a perpetual struggle). Later, Augustine abundant Manichaeism and tried other philosophies, but none satisfied his search for truth.

 Second or next hurdle was immorality and pride. For many years he keeps a mistress (concubine) and illegitimate son was born to him. He tried philosophical systems, but none of the helps him to recover from his immoral life. He believed his immoral life style was justifiable (Manichean they don't condemn that). Seeking fame, fortune and higher studies Augustine went to Rome. There he met with Ambrose the bishop of Milan and Ambrose shared the gospel with Augustine. Augustine conversion came in 386 A.D. It came not through intellectual argumentation alone, but through spiritual encounter with God. One day while he was sitting in a garden outside Milan, he was struggling with philosophical questions in his mind, then he heard a child‟s voice saying “take and read” (Romans 13:13-14), here he found his question‟s answer. He wrote in his book confession that all the shadows of doubt were set away. We have seen that in his search for truth, he became a disciple of Manichean and studied neo-Platonic philosophy. He experienced the terrible power of sin and his own inability to overcome his sinful desire. Upon reading Rom. 13:13-14 Augustine experienced the released from his problems. In God's word he found truth and peace in the person of Jesus Christ. He also found the power to overcome his sinful desires and power of sin. He found peace that he was searching for, which the intellectual, philosophical ideas could not provide. He experienced the power of God's grace. And thus he was converted in 386 A.D. at the age of 33 he and his son were baptized by Bishop Ambrose in 387 A.D. and Augustine change radically breaking all tired of immoral past. After his baptism he returns to Carthage, North Africa, there he began to study Paul's epistles wherein he experienced the grace of God. He became a priest in 391 and in 395 he became bishop of Hippo, a city Carthage.

In Africa, Augustine confronted the teachings of Pelagius and refuted Pelagius teaching by emphasizing the absolute supremacy of God and the need of God‟s grace by man for his salvation. Augustine, died in A.D 430.

• Augustine was known as the father of medieval Roman Catholicism.
• He was known as the spiritual ancestors of reformation.
• Augustine laid the foundation of the doctrine of predestination.
• He was the greatest theologian between Paul and Luther.

His Famous Writings Are:

• “The Confession”: in this book he wrote about his conversion experiences
• “The City of God”: he describes about two cities the city of God and worldly city. He divided men into two classes, first those who obey the law of God dwell in the city of God those who disobey are the inhabitance of this world.
• “Treaties on the Holy Trinity”

His teachings on trinity: His writing on “treaties on holy trinity” was a magnificent theological masterpiece. In this book he explains /shows God as eternal, transcendence (far) immanent (near), infinite, Triune God. He defines God as trinity in one Essence. His works constituted for centuries of theological thought in developing the doctrine of the trinity. There was only little debate on trinity after Augustine. In his work on trinity he also solves the personal struggle with the problem of evil. He said, “God created the universe out of nothing “xinilo”. God created humans and angels with free will, but after the fall the will is in bondage. He wrote Satan, some angels and humans chose to reveal against God. Grace was the only explanation of why God chose to redeem humanity through his sons?

His teachings about man: Man‟s original state before the fall was perfect in which he enjoyed the image of God in wisdom, holiness and immorality. But after the fall man lost his privilege. He came to the state of unable not to sin and Augustine used the Latin phrase “non pose non pecceare”. Augustine says “the will was entirely affected by Adam‟s fall and now being inclined toward evil. Man is no longer free, his will is in bondage.

Concept of sin: Man: the fallen /sinful nature of Adam passed on to the entire human race. Here Augustine brings the doctrine of imputation of sin that is all humanity “seminally present” in Adam. Therefore, when Adam sin each person of the entire human race participated in the first sin (Rom 5:12). This was his understanding of Rom. 5:12. He said even the infants were included in depravity. Grace: he said God‟s grace was absolutely essential for salvation from a man‟s state of total depravity. So salvation comes by God‟s grace which is undeserved and wholly free. He taught that the grace is irresistible. He said because of Adam‟s fall man lost freedom of will, his only freedom was freedom to sin. No man was unable of doing right, so God‟s grace is essential and he says it is irresistible grace. This grace is necessary for the ability to believe in the gospel. The grace imparts to sinful man not because he believes, but because that he may believe. In other word faith itself is the gift of God.

Pelagius a British monk in 400 A.D denied the concept of original sin and denied the need of grace in salvation. He says that man has the ability to save himself. But Augustine affirmed that the corruption of humans because of Adam‟s sin and the absolute need of God‟s grace for salvation. Augustine formulated the doctrine of election and predestination that influenced Luther and Calvin later. Augustine's theology emphasizes the sovereignty of God and God centre theology.

Sovereignty and Providence: The city of God emphasizes the sovereignty and providence of God. The city of God was written as a response to the destruction of Rome by Visigoths (German tribal) in 410 A.D. this work show history as a story of two cities: the city of God and the city of man. The city of God is depicted by love for God and City of man by love of self. Both cities will continue until the end when God will bring eternal judgment on the rebellious city, or city of this world and eternal salvation to the obedient ones. Augustine argues that Rome fell because it was sinful, idolatrous and rebellious. Thus, all cities of man of such will be destroyed. Only God‟s city will Triumph. However, there are some other aspects of Augustine theology deserve comment. This is because of his ascetic life. He found no reference to a literal millennial kingdom on earth. He rejected the idea God bringing in a kingdom material goodness and abundance. Therefore, he allegorized passages like Rev. 20 and taught that this verse represent to the present age, not a literal thousands years reign of Christ.