Time to get back to what I love…teaching, especially church history.
The most towering figure in theological history is Augustine of Hippo.
Spanning the fourth and fifth centuries, this man is claimed by both Protestants and Catholics as a father.
Luther and Calvin based the Reformation upon his teachings and Rome built their doctrine of the church along his broad shoulders.
He is the giant among giants and we're going to take some time and get to know him.
Sarah has been kind enough to once again lend her learned hand to us and she has prepared this introduction to Augustine.
There is so much information on Augustine, it is difficult to bring a satisfactory introduction in the space of a blog thread. So, consider this just the briefest of introductions, really just a foundation place to start our discussion on a man who would become a giant in Church history. Instead of simply giving his chronology, it might be helpful to understand his world a little and a few of the key characteristics that made him unique.
First, his world was one where Christianity was tolerated and embraced by those in authority. Forty years after the Edict of Milan, Augustine never had to deal with the filter of martyrdom. Martyrdom required uncompromised faith; tolerance allowed leisure and accommodation with pagan thought. Augustine was able to think about alternatives and to debate and dialogue and discuss various belief systems. Second, his world was a Roman world of those who had all and those who had nothing. Born in 354 in Thagaste (or Tagaste), he was born into a town of several thousand situated on the plains, sustained by farming and olive harvesting. The inhabitants of North Africa were Roman, linguistically, culturally and economically. Those who were wealthy, the clarrisimi, became so by increasing their land, which necessitate dispossessing the peasant farmers. The wealthy were expected to be patrons, to provide opportunities for those who showed promise and entertainment for the others.
Although Augustine’s father, Patricius, was one of the poor farmers, he valued classical education and as long possible scraped together funds to send Augustine to school. There is a period where the money runs out and Patricius is able to secure the patronage of Romanianus, a man who provides for several young men. These men become a community and emerge as a formidable group of Bishops who understand each other better than the church understands itself elsewhere. This group remains together.
This marks a third aspect of Augustine’s make-up. Community. Aside from this group of young men, Augustine’s life is lived in the public forum that made up North African life. The climate was conducive to the men congregating outside and debating; the orator was respected. North African’s had a mindset characterized by verbosity, using riddles, rhymes and puns. They were best in controversy and verbal fireworks. Lawyers, capable of vigorous and unrelenting rhetoric. This verbal sparring was done in community, and although it was tenuous and reputations could turn quickly. Augustine grew into maturity in a culture that demanded clear argumentation.
This naturally brings us to a fourth aspect of Augustine. Augustine’s mature life is marked by words. He was master of the spoken word as well as the written. Erudite and learned, his sophistication is actually in contrast to a mediocre education: H knew only a few Roman texts, including Virgil, Cicero, Sallust and Terrence. Read them in great detail, but his schooling is almost completely literary in character, an education that involved memorizing as well as engaging the texts. He never learned Greek, and for a long time this was a block to him in reading Scripture; the translations available to him seemed crude compared to the rhetoric of Cicero and others.
Another key in Augustine is simply his passion. He was an emotional, fiery man. He threw himself in revelry and debate and reputation, and when he turned to Manichean religion he devoured their writings and was an enthusiastic follower for almost nine years before finding the weakness of their thinking. His famous conversion is marked by emotion that drove him to tears and led to absolute conviction in his faith. His love for his mother is unshakable, and his need for relationships with others exposes a heart filled with emotion.
Finally, the notable figure in Augustine’s formation is his mother Monica. A Christian who constantly prayed and hounded and pestered and ministered to her son, she was a formidable character. Augustine reveres her always, even when she shuts her door to him when he embraces the heretical Manicheans or when she demands he leave his mistress of 15 years. Her own faith is a journey that is seen through the Confessions, and her death brings a catharsis for Augustine. Her influence on her son is enormous.
Consider this the most basic foundation in coming to Augustine. There is much to be touched on, but hopefully this helps form some understanding of the make-up of the man Augustine. A quick chronology will follow, along with some of the key names, but keep in mind these elements of this very complex man who God used to make such an enormous impact on Christianity.
A semi-imaginary conversation… 
What did you teach?
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