Augustine’s background
- born in Thagaste, north Africa, 354 AD
- mother was devout Catholic
- born out of wedlock
- studied rhetoric [philosophy/literature/public speaking]
- what two important things happened to him in 170 AD? [aged 16]
Firstly, he read Cicero’s ‘Hortensius’ which stirred him up in a strong desire to pursue wisdom – by comparison he found the Bible full of contradiction and unable to deal w questions raised by him
Secondly, he encountered Manicheans -[who believed they only knew the truth and despised Catholic Christians]- and although they offered answers which he ‘gulped down’; he grew tired of them soon after
- was are the beliefs within Manicheism
- what gained Augustine’s interest?
Manicheans were dualists who believed suffering & evil is caused by a lower power, not God:
- world as battlefield between forces of light & darkness
- higher human soul is particle of light - that’s trapped in material body
- human task is to liberate higher soul to return to Greater light
- lower human soul craves material world delights
- release accomplished by: prayer & abstinence from evils = [riches, lust, wine, meat, luxurious horses]
he became increasingly interested in the problem of evil and suffering - with wanting to know what caused it & what we cld do about it
- during his encounter with Manicheans, Aug took on a …….. who he never named, and by her had a …
- what was their living situation?
- for him this was a …….. experience unlike others who had several mistresses
- his later writings often make reference to the powerful …………. ……. of …
mistress - son - the three of them lived together as if married - formative - psychological effects - sex
- what did he do / what happened in 184 AD?
- offered position as orator at imperial court in Milan
- now that career was moving towards a government role
- he did the respectable thing and sent mistress back to Carthage;
- and engaged a girl from a high-ranking family
- became increasingly dissatisfied with Manicheism’s inability to give satisfactory explanations for universe [based on latest mathematics and astronomical observations]
- became increasingly involved with intellectuals known as Platonists [although they had some different beliefs to his]
What are two ideas of Platonism that differs from Plato’s?
Firstly, under Plotinus’ influence believed some human minds able to contemplate the One [God] by ascending up diff levels of reality
- cause of evil & suffering is fact that soul cannot control body [meaning they don’t work harmoniously] Furthermore, truth, happiness and wisdom only achieved once soul separated from all material influences & merges with One
Secondly, combed Plato & passages from new testament – developed a new form of Christianity - didn’t believe in Christs death but instead saw him as ‘logos’ [an enlightened being]
How did Neoplatonism play an important role in Augustine’s theology?
Why was it flawed?
His view of soul & its relationship to body is strongly platonic - his early writings share Platonic optimism that soul can find wisdom and happiness through own efforts
- solved problem of evil: evil not as a separate power, but absence of good
- However didn’t find it emotionally/spiritually satisfying and still experienced inner conflict
Who did he meet with later?
What happened in 386 AD [aged 32]?
Why / how did he convert to Christianity?
- met with Ambrose [Christian Bishop of Milan] who taught him to read old testament symbolically = removed many objections he’d struggled with and resolved issue of conflicting passages
- his body was in turmoil - tore his hair, hammered forehead w fists & wept – later sitting under fig tree heard a voice say ‘take it and read’ [twice] Took it as God’s command and picked up copy of St. Pauls letters he’d been reading earlier;
“not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires”
it provided what he was looking for; wisdom cannot be provided by pursuit on intellect alone but through God’s grace in Jesus Christ
What happened in 387 AD+ ?
He and his son [Adeodatus] to mother’s delight got baptised and returned to n. Africa after Monica’s [sister] and Adeo’s deaths 2 years later
What was his life like as a Christian bishop?
- joined monastic community and ordained priest [391 AD], consecrated bishop of Hippo where he stayed till his death [430 AD aged 41]
Dispute with the Pelagians?
Pelagius [Christian Monk] didn’t believe Original Sin cause universal guilt which only god cld remove – Pelagians argued humans have sufficient free will to overcome personal sin
Pelagius’ teachings: [5]
- even if Adam hadn’t sinned, still wldve died
- Adam’s Sin only harmed himself – not human race
- Children born in same state as Adam was before the Fall
- whole human race neither dies through Adam’s Sin/death nor rises thru Christ’s resurrection
- Even before coming of Christ there where people who lived without sinning
Augustine opposed Pelagius arguing:
[took an increasingly hard-line view]
- human nature after Fall is entirely corrupt
- Adam’s original sin passed gen to gen
- therefore becos incapability of choosing to do good/follow God doing so is only possible through Grace
- Grace still only selects the ‘elect’ [strongly reminiscent of Manichean teaching despite officially rejecting them]
