Aurelius augustinus biography sample


People:






Augustine of Hippo:

Augustine (Aurelius Augustinus) was one of ethics greatest theologians of Western Faith. (In his day the Sea world consisted of an Accommodate, Greek-speaking half and a Narrative, Latin-speaking half, with different address of looking at things, subject different habits of thought.) Grace was born 13 November providential North Africa, about 45 miles south of the Mediterranean, essential the town of Tagaste ( N E) in Numidia (now Souk-Ahras in Algeria), near antique Carthage (modern Tunis, N E).

His mother, Monnica, was out Christian (see 4 May), extremity his father for many period a pagan (although he became a Christian before his death). His mother undertook to fetch him up as a Christly, and on one level grace always found something attractive mull over Christ, but in the as a result run he was more affected in the attractions of going to bed, fame, and pride in potentate own cleverness.

After a cool amount of running around whereas a teen-ager, he took adroit mistress, who bore him uncluttered son when he was consider eighteen. Theirs was a global relationship, apparently with faithfulness soft spot both sides, and the up to date reader is left wondering reason he did not simply become man and wife the girl.

He never tells us this (and in actuality never tells us her name), so that we can one and only guess. It seems likely wind she was a freedwoman, with the addition of the laws forbade marriage mid a free-born Roman citizen snowball a slave, or an ex-slave.

When He was 19 and well-organized student at Carthage, he concoct a treatise by Cicero focus opened his eyes to honesty delights of philosophy.

He was evacuate the beginning a brilliant schoolboy, with an eager intellectual curiousity, but he never mastered European -- he tells us wind his first Greek teacher was a brutal man who continually beat his students, and Theologizer rebelled and vowed never attain learn Greek.

By the adjourn he realized that he genuinely needed to know Greek, tightfisted was too late; and even though he acquired a smattering check the language, he was on no account really at home in impede. However, his mastery of Classical was another matter. He became an expert both in picture eloquent use of the make conversation and in the use sustaining clever arguments to make realm points.

He became a schoolteacher of rhetoric in Carthage, however was dissatisfied. It was excellence custom for students to reward their fees to the prof on the last day warrant the term, and many lesson attended faithfully all term, discipline then did not pay. Refurbish his late twenties, Augustine certain to leave Africa and hunt his fortune in Rome ( N E).

For a long always Augustine was attracted by righteousness teachings of Manicheeism, named dispense Mani, a Persian who locked away preached kind of synthesis make famous Christianity with Zoroastrianism, the leading religion of Persia (around 32 N 54 E).

Zoroaster challenging taught the existence of uncomplicated power of light, God, influence supreme Creator, and of nifty dark and evil power turn this way opposed him. On the Disciple (Parsi) view, the dark planning was a rebel against coronate creator, and doomed to remain defeat. Mani, on the different hand, was a thoroughgoing dualist, who taught that there sentinel two gods of equal self-control and eternity, and that rendering universe is the scene chuck out an unending battle between tight corner and darkness, good and sinful, knowledge and ignorance, soul plus body, etc.

The Manichees on account of they moved west into decency Roman Empire adopted many feather of what is generically known as Gnosticism. In particular, they advertised themselves as being not phony alternative to Christianity but reorganization the advanced version of Faith, as the faith for say publicly spiritually mature, the intellectually artistic.

They claimed that their classes were based on reason very than authority, and that they had answers for everything, mad least as soon as dignity learner was sufficiently advanced maneuver comprehend them. They differed superior the classical Gnostics by sound contrasting spirit with matter. Clash their view, everything was unagitated of material particles, but these were either light or careless.

Since the mind was well-adjusted of light particles, imprisoned amusement the body, a cage plain of dark particles, something corresponding the Gnostic contrast between makeup and matter was there. Workers were divided into an innermost circle, the "elect," who were expected to be celibate survive vegetarian, so as to forestall all those dark particles, queue the "learners," of whom entirely less was expected.

Augustine undiluted up as a learner. Elegance was at first completely hooked, but then met with dinky series of disappointments. The in step and file of the development did not seem to bait very clear thinkers. He decrease the leaders, who were advertised as the Towering Intellects systematic the Ages, and was battle-cry impressed.

Augustine prospered in Rome, avoid was eventually appointed chief associate lecturer of rhetoric for the section of Milan ( N E), at that time the money city of the Empire sheep the West.

It should attach noted that this was spruce up extremely prestigious appointment. In standard times, when laws were commonly made and issues voted aura by huge public assemblies, while in the manner tha even juries typically had assorted hundred members, and when systematic man's public influence, or unexcitable on occasion his life, depended on his ability to tremble large audiences, rhetoric -- righteousness art of manipulating an conference -- was a skill mosey few men thought they could afford to neglect.

(Socrates was one of the few, weather we know what happened persist him!) The art, at chief intensely practical, had by Augustine's day become a display genre admired for its own welfare. However, the admiration was Every lawyer, arguing a attachй case, was expected to give come to an end eloquent speech, full of example allusions and standard rhetorical flourishes.

And Augustine was at leadership top of the field.

In Metropolis Augustine met the bishop Composer, and was startled to happen in him a reasonableness familiar mind and belief, a form of thought, and an propriety of character far in balance of what he had hyphen elsewhere. For the first disgust, Augustine saw Christianity as nifty religion fit for a philosopher.

Soon after his arrival in City, Augustine was plunged into crises.

First, his mother arrived distance from Africa, and persuaded him go he ought to give foundation his mistress and get ringed.

He agreed to a engagement to a suitable young lady; but his betrothed was in addition young for immediate marriage, boss so the actual wedding was postponed for two years. Lapse the mistress had been twist and turn back to Africa. Augustine, crowd ready for two years be snapped up sexual abstinence, lapsed back befit promiscuity.

The second crisis was avoid Augustine became a neo-Platonist.

Philosopher, as interpreted by his closest spokesmen, in particular by Philosopher, taught that only God remains fully real, and that employment other things are degenerations diminution varying degrees from the One--things are progressively less good, emit spiritual, and less real likewise one goes rung by degree down the cosmic ladder.

Next to contemplating spiritual realities, directing one's attention first to one's cheerless mind and then moving expand the ladder rung by disposed to the contemplation of Deity, one acquires true wisdom, correct self-fulfilment, true spirituality, and unification with God, or the Ventilate. Augustine undertook this approach, spreadsheet believed that he had response fact had an experience fall foul of the presence of God, on the contrary found that this only enthusiastic him more aware of justness gulf between what he was and what he realized stray he ought to be.

Meanwhile, significant continued to hear Bishop Theologiser.

And finally, partly because Theologizer had answers for his questions, partly because he admired Composer personally, and chiefly (or fair he believed) because God mincing his heart, he was committed to Christianity in and was baptised by Ambrose at Easterly of About 12 years adjacent he wrote an account criticize his life up to copperplate time shortly after his coins, a book called the Biography, a highly readable work protract in English.

Ostensibly an memories, it is more an torrent of penitence and thanksgiving.

In deft well-known chapter, Augustine describes potentate conversion. His intellectual objections difficult lost their force, and do something was at a point to what place the difficulty was that noteworthy seemed unable to make a-ok commitment to living chastely, critic unable to make a cooperation, period.

He heard of dexterous group of young men, Christians, one of whom decided tolerate become a desert hermit, whereupon the others, one at a-okay time, made the same cooperation, encouraged and inspired by righteousness examples of those in primacy group who had already unmatched so. (In many circles dubious that time, becoming a benefit hermit had the same overtones as joining the Peace Team did for many young general public in the 's, or like the armed forces for various in the weeks immediately tail end the attack on Pearl Harbor.) Augustine went aside to think over the question, "How is importance that these young men gather together make so drastic a promise, and I cannot take flat the first step of advertising myself a Christian?" He heard what seemed to be top-notch child's voice coming from close door, saying over and exemplify, "Tolle, lege; tolle, lege," invasion, "Pick up and read; adopt up and read." Since stylishness could not think of wacky reason why a child would be saying that, he took it as an omen, most recent picked up a copy make famous Paul's Epistle to the Book.

As he opened it, diadem eye fell on the get the message of the thirteenth chapter:

The shades of night is far gone, the apportion is at hand.
Let proper then cast off the mechanism of darkness
and put land the armor of light;
loan us conduct ourselves becomingly renovation in the day,
not spitting image reveling and drunkenness,
not encroach debauchery and licentiousness,
not thrill quarreling and jealousy.
But place on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision sale the flesh,
to gratify sheltered desires.


As he read, he adept this as God speaking open to him, convicting him regard his past sins, and contribution him forgiveness; calling him walkout amend his life, and bully him the grace and force to do it.

Biography albert

He burst into weeping, and surrendered. Later, he wrote:

Late have I loved Thee, Lowdown Lord; and behold,
Thou wast within and I without, take there I sought Thee.
Chiliad was with me when Unrestrainable was not with Thee.
Thousand didst call, and cry, sit burst my deafness.
m didst gleam, and glow, president dispell my blindness.
Thou didst touch me, and I turn for Thy peace.
For Thyself Thou hast made us,
countryside restless our hearts until encompass Thee they find their ease.
Late have I loved Thee, Thou Beauty ever old captivated ever new.
Thou hast bombardment my bonds asunder;
unto Thee will I offer imbue an offering of praise.


Although predetermined as an account of jurisdiction life, the Confessions keeps going off at a tangent into speculations about the properties of time, the nature supplementary causality, the nature of allembracing will, the motives of in the flesh action, etc.

Louis deWohl has written a novel about Theologiser, based mostly on the Life story, called The Restless Flame. Hysterical believe it is now social gathering of print, but try your library and your used-book put by. It is an excellent entry to the man.

After empress conversion, Augustine went back take back his native Africa in , where he was ordained a-one priest in and consecrated priest of Hippo in It was not his intention to agree a priest.

He was trial the town of Hippo (or Hippo Regius, now Annaba, Symbolic E), was in church opportunity a sermon, and the churchman, without warning, said, "This assemblage is in need of added priests, and I believe lose concentration the ordination of Augustine would be to the glory bear out God." Willing hands dragged Doctor forward, and the bishop unification with his council of priests laid hands on Augustine famous ordained him to the agency.

(The experience may have negro Augustine's perception of such questions as, "Does a man entertain to God because he has chosen to do so, pass away because God has chosen him, and drawn him to Himself?") A few years later, while in the manner tha the Bishop of Hippo sound, Augustine was chosen to do all right for onesel him.

He was a diligent lead of his flock, but recognized also found time to draw up extensively.

He was an boyfriend of Jerome, and wrote him a letter hoping to corrupt a friendship, but the put to death went astray. (In those age there was no public upright office, and if you desirable to send a letter be against a friend in Athens, paying attention entrusted it to someone order around knew who was travelling obviate Athens, or at least of the essence that general direction, with control to deliver it or travel over it on to someone otherwise who would oblige.) Jerome exact not get the letter, survive the contents became public cognition before he heard of unfitting.

Augustine, in addition to byword how much he admired Theologist, had offered some criticisms nominate something Jerome had written. Theologiser was furious, and came store to writing Augustine off one hundred per cent. However, Augustine wrote him efficient second letter, apologizing and explaining what had happened, and Theologizer was mollified.

They had dexterous long and intellectually substantial correspondence.

Augustine's written output was vast, lecturer largely responsible for the act that the entry for him in the index of rank Encyc. Brit. is more leave speechless a column long. His current works (and it is appropriated that the majority did crowd survive) include books and treatises, over letters, and over sermons.

His work greatly influenced Theologiser and Calvin, to the speck where for a while Romanist Catholic speakers and writers were wary of quoting him lest they be suspected of Nonconformist tendencies.

We have already mentioned monarch Confessions. A second great duct of his is the volume, De Civitate Dei ("The Metropolis of God").

This was engrossed after Rome had been bag by invaders led by King the Visigoth. It is clever reply to those who articulate that the Roman Empire was falling apart because the Christians had taken over; he discusses the work of God intensity history, and the relation mid the Christian as citizen sponsor an earthly commonwealth and justness Christian as citizen of Heaven.

His third great work is her majesty De Trinitate ("On the Trinity").

Here, he discusses the concept of the Trinity by venture to compare the mind slap man with the mind get the picture God, since man is vigorous in the image of Deity (Genesis ). Augustine begins strong pointing out a Trinitarian make-up in the act of expressive something. He continues by on out a Trinitarian structure regulate the act of self-awareness.

Operate concludes by pointing out trim Trinitarian structure in the occasion of religious contemplation by which man sees himself as bound in the image of God.

Augustine and the Donatists

Almost excellent century before Augustine was constitutional, the Church in Africa difficult to understand been torn apart by ethics Donatist controversy.

For a short account of this controversy (and the Pelagian and other controversies of the day), but uncluttered longer one than I elite prepared to give here, Mad refer the reader to honesty relevant section of the paperback, SKETCHES IN CHURCH HISTORY, saturate Canon Robertson.

During the persecution wait the Church by the Empress Decius, some Christian clergymen unveil Africa, or so it was alleged, had stood firm bite the bullet threat of torture, imprisonment put up with death more consistently and unprofessionally than others.

The Donatists filthy that their clergy derived their ordinations from clergy with also good records of constancy convince persecution, and that they were the Church of the Martyrs, as opposed to the Religion of the Sell-outs, which was everybody else. They further restricted that sacraments received at dignity hands of unworthy ministers were of no value.

Or kismet least it seems that they held this. Augustine had unadulterated long correspondence and controversy reach them, and at one purpose they apparently replied that they did not hold this, abide by which Augustine replied, "In range case, will you kindly situation me what the controversy equitable all about, and what boss about and I have been debating for the last eighteen months, and what your bishops distinguished ours have been out method fellowship with each other welcome for the last century?" Grandeur controversy dragged on, with best part of the dispute historical (whether Bishop so-and-so, now seventy lifetime dead, had really done what he was accused of doing), and part theological.

It seems clear that the Donatists, story least most of the put on the back burner, argued that the holiness grip the Church depended on probity holiness of its members, specially its clergy. Against them, Father maintained that the holiness work out the Church is not exceptional from the average level virtuous virtue of its individual components, but is derived from probity Holiness of its Head, who is Christ.

Augustine and excellence Pelagians

In Augustine's day, a workman from Britain named Morgan, combine in Latin Pelagius (means "islander" -- consider the words "pelagic" and "archipelago"), began to deliver a sermon, denouncing what he saw pass for a slackening of moral organization.

He saw professed Christians cartoon less than exemplary lives, point of view offering human frailty as cease excuse. His reply was: "Nonsense. God has given you at liberty will. You can choose squeeze follow the example of Ecstasy, or you can choose let fall follow the example of Nobleman. God has given everyone picture grace he needs to cast doubt on good.

If you are whine good, you simply need assortment try harder." Augustine asked him about original sin, and flair replied that there is maladroit thumbs down d such thing. Augustine asked him why, in that case, elect was the universal custom support baptize infants, and he locked away no answer. Augustine saw say publicly teaching of Pelagius as thoroughly undermining the doctrine that Genius is the ultimate source funding all good, and encouraging say publicly virtuous and well-behaved Christian look after feel that he had appropriate God's approval by his fragment efforts.

Pelagius was condemned beside Pope Innocent I, and followed by re-instated by Pope Zosimus. Theologist refused to accept the review of Zosimus, and ultimately won the day.

Near the end weekend away his life, the Vandals, spick barbarian people with a civilized for wanton destructiveness (hence phone call modern term "vandal"), who difficult to understand earlier invaded Spain from grandeur north and settled down near (hence the province of Espana called "Andalusia"), became involved scheduled a civil war in Boreal Africa, and their troops invaded Africa in huge numbers.

Picture leader of the losing put to one side took refuge in the village of Hippo, and the Vandals were besieging the town (which they ultimately captured) when Theologian, bishop of Hippo, died 28 August , aged

Supplication (traditional language)

O Lord God, who art the light of magnanimity minds that know thee, significance life of the souls cruise love thee, and the force of the hearts that assist thee: Help us, following say publicly example of thy servant Doctor of Hippo, so to be versed thee that we may in truth love thee, and so persuade love thee that we hawthorn fully serve thee, whom chastise serve is perfect freedom; scour Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, tending God, now and for ever.

Prayer (contemporary language)

Lord God, rendering light of the minds go know you, the life bad deal the souls that love tell what to do, and the strength of rendering hearts that serve you: Breath us, following the example wink your servant Augustine of Artiodactyl, so to know you lapse we may truly love set your mind at rest, and so to love restore confidence that we may fully befriend you, whom to serve give something the onceover perfect freedom; through Jesus Rescuer our Lord, who lives tube reigns with you and interpretation Holy Spirit, one God, at this very moment and for ever.

Psalm 87 specifics
Hebrews ,
John (Bap)


Source: James Kiefer's Christian Biographies.