Bishop of Hippo: St.Augustine

St. Augustine also known as the bishop of Hippo from 396 to 430 had the most significant influence on classical thoughts of Christianity. Born into a modest Roman community, he managed to get a first-class education due to his determined parents. After completing his education he returned to Carthage to teach Rhetoric, a popular science of the era which was the early Middle Ages. In earlier stages of his life, Christianity was starting to become the nation’s rising religion, and the relationship between Roman culture and religion had its share of influence on the Saint. Before his conversion to Christianity, he was a member of the Manichean religion and later on Neoplatonism. He had valuable impacts on issues ranging from theology, and philosophical and moral topics, leaving traces behind in the Latin Middle Ages until our century. 

Augustine accepted philosophy as a necessity in the pursuit of wisdom however, it was always below divine revelation/faith. The concept of ‘Original according to him was what led to man’s departure from God through pride and man’s folly of taking themselves as the only light submerging in self-love and sufficiency. He originated the idea of consummation being evil merely because many philosophies were based on dualism where any physical was considered evil and the spiritual as good. Augustine concluded that sin was inherited biologically from Adam to all, hence sexual desire was nothing but a sin. This concept is closely related to an understatement of salvation and why it is needed to mend humanity’s fallen nature and relationship with God. 

He was founded in discussions debating between human ‘Free Will’ and predestination. Contemplating the existence of human free will, he at the same time stated God’s ruling over human destinations in reaching their salvation. On ‘Free Will’ he coined a a writing in the form of a dialogue with his friend Evodius. Augustine asks’ If sins go back to souls created by God, and souls go back to God, how can we avoid before long tracing sin back to God? ’and the sin emerging from free will is to be blamed in his perspective. Humans act out on evil wishes by processing their decisions in their minds. People becoming ‘slaves of their passions is only a sign of weakness by free choice. He argued that nothing was nobler than a human’s mind so nothing other than the mind can be the origin of evil. Augustine also believed that the only way to escape the deceivings of the human mind is through ‘grace’. This theology of Augustine shines in almost every writing he produces making it a central theme. It is thus he is called the Professor of Grace, proving to Pelagians that the need of grace was indeed the main of reaching eternal life with bliss. Turning to scriptures he indicates how human beings are completely dependent on God. In conclusion, a person may be freed in knowing the truth turning to serving God again only through Divine Grace. Good deeds are not the only aid in this since some individuals are predestined by God to be saved and grace makes this salvation true. 

He presented in his theology City of God (De Civitate Dei); the separation and connection between God and humans, laying out the unfolding of our history as a divine intervention occurrence. In “The City of God” two cities are contrasted: the City of God (Heavenly City)and the City of Man (Earthly City). Written as a response to the sack of Rome by the barbarians, Augustine believed Christianity saved the city from crumbling, and internal moral decay resulted in Rome’s fall. Augustine compares the destinies of both cities and their characteristics of theology and eschatology. The earthly city is defined by ‘self-love reaching the point of contempt for God’ where everything is temporal including all human institutions, governments, and cultures. Furthermore, he argued that it was subject to decay corruption, and change. The earthly city is completely based on worldly pursuits and human achievements. Whereas ‘Heavenly City’ is built upon ‘the love of God carried as far as contempt of self’ portraying the love of God is above all, residents of this city prioritize their relationship with God to be harmonious. Unlike ‘Earthly city this city is accepted as everlasting and unchanging. Representing the salvation that is achieved by habiting there in comparison to ‘Earthly City’. He is frequently characterized as a determinist since the elect who are chosen only will attain salvation, and the criteria of being chosen is not related to their good deeds but unknown reasons. 

Another work of his that affected Christian theology is called ‘Confessions’. In this text, Augustine reveals his personal and spiritual journey to Christianity and defends himself against the ones who thought he was not truthful. It is suggested that Confessions can be taken as an extended prayer, which Augustine appreciates the way God guided him to Christianity. This autobiographical work of his dis divides into 3 segments: Books 1-9 reflect on Augustine’s life and his road to awakening, in Book 10 discussions of nature and the power of memory take place and between Books 11-13 he is seeking knowledge from God and debates on the first chapter of Genesis along with the term of Trinity. A great part of his confessions is dedicated to Augustine’s precise disclosure of his struggles with sin and the idea of the nature of evil. The main point of this narrative is Augustine’s conversion which begins just with Augustine reading a passage from the Bible. 

As it might be understood Augustine influenced future thoughts of Christianity in addition his thoughts were coming from the heart of Platonism more uniquely named so - ‘Augustinianism’. Readings of Plotinus and Porphyry helped his development intellectually, Neoplatonism was what affected him more directly than any other of his Westerner heirs. It shows in his anthropology that he was firmly Platonist, believing in the superiority and independence of the soul from the body. As demonstrated by Plotinus, the Soul while moving in between the immaterial and material world, does not recall all of its divine nature. All individual souls live under the divinity of the One and at the end, they will all return to where they came from, to the divine realm, after leaving their bodies behind. The human soul can easily ascend from the lower, material realm to the highest, immaterial absolute beauty and perfection of the One as Augustine refers to this ‘ascent of the soul ’ in Book 9 of the Confessions. 

While he condemned liberal studies and solely believed scriptures were the only solution for liberation, Augustine happened to be sort of transforming his views in ‘De Doctrina Christiana’. DDC is perfectly suitable for being a guide to discovery and communication in the Bible’s educational context. Therefore its main purpose is to help those wanting to interpret and understand the Bible under the manifestation of Christian teaching. The first three books of DDC detail his theories of sign and figurative language. A fourth book associated with the use of rhetoric in teaching was added later on in 426. To recognize the scriptures we must consider both things and signs, he separates things from signs by imploring things is unable to signify any matter. And he goes on to say ‘every sign is also a thing . . . but not everything is also a sign’. 

Although he agreed with Plato’s rules for expelling poets and dramatists on moral grounds, his views were different. He argues that all art is false including paintings, sculptures, and plays because they are paradoxically unable to represent what they are. Art being consisted of sensuous elements was far apart from God, in the lower reality. Granted that he was opposed to art, he acknowledged the value of literature in education, believing that it could be a tool in teaching moral truths, and guiding individuals to discover the deeper truth and ideas. He was aware of literature’s contribution to theology and his autobiographical works and treatises played a big role in shaping Christian literature. Augustine was against the possible distractions and temptation of unnecessary studying of aesthetic pleasures and literature. He was always determined to believe worldly pleasures were a great distraction from man’s seeking of God that is why he encouraged not to dwell upon art and literature but scriptures.” 

One of the many literary works that can be analyzed under St.Augustine’s theory, is “The Divine Comedy” based on his journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven can be analyzed with the help of Augustine’s treatises about sin, redemption, and the divine order. Key themes of divine justice and the relationship between humans and God towards salvation are explored in the work. There are even comparisons between Dante’s Divine Comedy and Augustine’s ‘Confessions’ and it is believed they both drew their arguments from ‘Aeneid’. Whilst there are similarities between these two works the messages they are proven to be given differ from each other. Augustine aims to exile the demons and worldly pleasures that we might bear in ourselves, Dante asks his audience to be aware of the evil that may be disguised in men. Dante just like St. Augustine explores various philosophical and religious concepts such as free will, the nature of sin, the importance of virtue, and the cosmic order. Both theorist’s works highlight the experience and the journey of salvation which must reach us from God and his grace. Apart from The One, any other interest in beauty and pleasure is prone to causing our damnation, the only way to achieve so in both works comes from the representation of grace. 

In conclusion, it can be stated that St.Augustine had the most profound influence on Roman and Catholic society and many future theorists. His works, treatises, and determinism led him to become a Bishop who would pursue his ethics in many ways. Augustine’s conversion to Christianity started his enlightenment and desire to work to achieve God’s grace and represent his truth with his ideas in the Early Middle Ages which are still being studied in the 21st century.