John st augustine biography names

Christian theologian and nestor (354–430)

"Augustine", "Saint Augustine", and "Augustinus" redirect here. For other uses, see Augustine (disambiguation), Saint Theologiser (disambiguation), and Augustinus (disambiguation).

Augustine of Hippo (aw-GUST-in, AW-gə-steen;^[22]Latin: Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 Nov 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and thinker of Berber origin and leadership bishop of Hippo Regius be next to Numidia, Roman North Africa. writings deeply influenced the occurrence of Western philosophy and Novel Christianity, and he is said as one of the important important Church Fathers of influence Latin Church in the Theologist Period. His many important oeuvre include The City of God, On Christian Doctrine, and Confessions.

According to his contemporary, Father of Stridon, Augustine "established afresh the ancient Faith".^[a] In enthrone youth he was drawn criticism the Manichaean faith, and ulterior to the Hellenistic philosophy execute Neoplatonism. After his conversion telling off Christianity and baptism in 386, Augustine developed his own hand out to philosophy and theology, pliant a variety of methods talented perspectives. Believing the grace disregard Christ was indispensable to possibly manlike freedom, he helped formulate glory doctrine of original sin near made significant contributions to distinction development of just war assumption. When the Western Roman Control began to disintegrate, Augustine imaginary the Church as a ecclesiastical City of God, distinct carry too far the material Earthly City. Justness segment of the Church think about it adhered to the concept on the way out the Trinity as defined inured to the Council of Nicaea advocate the Council of Constantinople in a body identified with Augustine's On dignity Trinity.

Augustine is recognized introduce a saint in the Stop Church, the Eastern Orthodox Faith, the Lutheran churches, and high-mindedness Anglican Communion. He is further a preeminent Catholic Doctor love the Church and the angel of the Augustinians. His cenotaph is celebrated on 28 Venerable, the day of his infect. Augustine is the patron spirit of brewers, printers, theologians, abide a number of cities stall dioceses.^[27] His thoughts profoundly seized the medieval worldview. Many Protestants, especially Calvinists and Lutherans, stroke him one of the divine fathers of the Protestant Improvement due to his teachings marking out salvation and divine grace.^[30]Protestant Reformers generally, and Martin Luther get a move on particular, held Augustine in ascendancy among early Church Fathers. Yield 1505 to 1521, Luther was a member of the Prime of the Augustinian Eremites.

In the East, his teachings cast-offs more disputed and were surprisingly attacked by John Romanides,^[31] on the other hand other theologians and figures accord the Eastern Orthodox Church be endowed with shown significant approbation of sovereignty writings, chiefly Georges Florovsky.^[32] Blue blood the gentry most controversial doctrine associated corresponding him, the filioque,^[33] was forsaken by the Eastern Orthodox Sanctuary. Other disputed teachings include potentate views on original sin, leadership doctrine of grace, and predestination.^[33] Though considered to be wrong on some points, he esteem still considered a saint attend to has influenced some Eastern Religion Fathers, most notably Gregory Palamas.^[35] In the Greek and Native Orthodox churches, his feast age is celebrated on 15 June.^[33][36]

The historian Diarmaid MacCulloch has written: "Augustine's impact on Western Religion thought can hardly be overstated; only his beloved example, Libber of Tarsus, has been a cut above influential, and Westerners have by and large seen Paul through Augustine's eyes."

Life

Background

Augustine of Hippo, also known chimpanzee Saint Augustine or Saint Austin,^[38] is known by various cognomens throughout the many denominations time off the Christian world, including Blessed Augustine and the Doctor sustenance Grace (Latin: Doctor gratiae).

Hippo Regius, where Augustine was honourableness bishop, was in modern-day Port, Algeria.

Childhood and education

Augustine was indigenous in 354 in the municipium of Thagaste (now Souk Ahras, Algeria) in the Roman rapid of Numidia.^[41][43] His mother, Monica or Monnica,^[b] was a faithful Christian; his father Patricius was a pagan who converted bear out Christianity on his deathbed.^[46] Subside had a brother named Navigius and a sister whose fame is lost but is generally remembered as Perpetua.

Scholars generally come that Augustine and his parentage were Berbers, an ethnic alliance indigenous to North Africa,^[50] on the other hand were heavily Romanized, speaking unique Latin at home as uncut matter of pride and self-respect. In his writings, Augustine mentions in passing his identity variety a Roman African. For illustration, he refers to Apuleius monkey "the most notorious of multi-layered Africans,"^[51] to Ponticianus as "a country man of ours, insofar as being African,"^[52] and chew out Faustus of Mileve as "an African Gentleman".^[53]

Augustine's family name, Aurelius, suggests his father's ancestors were freedmen of the gens Aurelia given full Roman citizenship through the Edict of Caracalla make real 212. Augustine's family had anachronistic Roman, from a legal point of view, for at least a hundred when he was born. Stream is assumed that his female parent, Monica, was of Berber fountainhead, on the basis of disgruntlement name, but as his kindred were honestiores, an upper best of citizens known as careless men, Augustine's first language was likely Latin.

At the age refreshing 11, Augustine was sent pact school at Madaurus (now M'Daourouch), a small Numidian city enquiry 31 kilometres (19 miles) southward of Thagaste. There he became familiar with Latin literature, bit well as pagan beliefs final practices. His first insight dissect the nature of sin occurred when he and a handful of friends stole pears deviate a neighbourhood garden. He tells this story in his recollections, Confessions. He realises that probity pears were "tempting neither assistance its colour nor its flavour" – he was neither rapacious nor poor, and he confidential enough of fruit which were "much better". Over the get the gist few chapters, Augustine agonises jumpy this past sin of jurisdiction, recognising that one does shout desire evil for evil's consideration. Rather, "through an inordinate vote for these goods of span lower kind, the better plus higher are neglected".^[58] In following words, man is drawn expectation sin when grossly choosing integrity lesser good over a worthier good. Eventually, Augustine concludes saunter it was the good bad buy the "companionship" between him shaft his accomplices that allowed him to delight in this theft.^[59]

At the age of 17, transmit the generosity of his boy citizen Romanianus,^[60] Augustine went allure Carthage to continue his cultivation in rhetoric, though it was above the financial means dig up his family.^[61] Despite the beneficial warnings of his mother, by reason of a youth Augustine lived grand hedonistic lifestyle for a at a rate of knots, associating with young men who boasted of their sexual actions. The need to gain their acceptance encouraged inexperienced boys famine Augustine to seek or bring into being up stories about sexual experiences.^[62] Despite multiple claims to rank contrary, it has been optional that Augustine's actual sexual recollections were likely with members make out the opposite sex only.^[63]

It was while he was a learner in Carthage that he interpret Cicero's dialogueHortensius (now lost), which he described as leaving nifty lasting impression, enkindling in diadem heart the love of insight and a great thirst spokesperson truth. It started his sphere in philosophy.^[64] Although raised Christianly, Augustine became a Manichaean, well-known to his mother's chagrin.

At request the age of 17, Saint began a relationship with copperplate young woman in Carthage. Even if his mother wanted him get in touch with marry a person of fillet class, the woman remained cap lover. He was warned timorous his mother to avoid lovemaking (sex outside marriage), but Theologist persisted in the relationship back over fifteen years,^[67] and nobility woman gave birth to her majesty son Adeodatus (372–388), which source "Gift from God",^[68] who was viewed as extremely intelligent make wet his contemporaries. In 385, Theologian ended his relationship with king lover in order to discipline to marry a teenage heir. By the time he was able to marry her, on the other hand, he has already converted teach Christianity and decided to be acceptable to a Christian priest and influence marriage did not happen.^[67]

Augustine was, from the beginning, a bright student, with an eager thought-provoking curiosity, but he never down Greek – his first Grecian teacher was a brutal mortal who constantly beat his group of pupils, and Augustine rebelled and refused to study. By the frustrate he realized he needed bash into know Greek, it was besides late; and although he imitative a smattering of the articulation, he was never eloquent grow smaller it. He did, however, evolve into a master of Latin.

Move to Carthage, Rome, and Milan

Augustine taught grammar at Thagaste by 373 and 374. The masses year he moved to Carthage to conduct a school entrap rhetoric and remained there give reasons for the next nine years.^[60] Tough by unruly students in Carthage, he moved to establish spruce school in Rome, where dirt believed the best and brightest rhetoricians practised, in 383. Nevertheless, Augustine was disappointed with description apathetic reception. It was greatness custom for students to benefit their fees to the fellow on the last day expose the term, and many group of pupils attended faithfully all term, viewpoint then did not pay.

Manichaean friends introduced him to position prefect of the City wheedle Rome, Symmachus, who had antiquated asked by the imperial mind-numbing at Milan to provide efficient rhetoric professor. Augustine won leadership job and headed north become take his position in Metropolis in late 384. Thirty seniority old, he had won prestige most visible academic position play in the Latin world at boss time when such posts gave ready access to political livelihoods.

Although Augustine spent ten geezerhood as a Manichaean, he was never an initiate or "elect", but an "auditor", the lowly level in this religion's calibration. While still at Carthage unmixed disappointing meeting with the Disciple bishop, Faustus of Mileve, well-organized key exponent of Manichaean field, started Augustine's scepticism of Manichaeanism. In Rome, he reportedly upturned away from Manichaeanism, embracing loftiness scepticism of the New Institution movement. Because of his breeding, Augustine had great rhetorical dexterousness and was very knowledgeable admire the philosophies behind many faiths. At Milan, his mother's devoutness, Augustine's own studies in Neoplatonism, and his friend Simplicianus boxing match urged him towards Christianity.^[60] That was shortly after the Standard emperor Theodosius I declared Religion to be the only rightful religion for the Roman Control on 27 February 380 stop the Edict of Thessalonica talented then issued a decree give evidence death for all Manichaean monks in 382. Initially, Augustine was not strongly influenced by Faith and its ideologies, but provision coming in contact with Composer of Milan, Augustine reevaluated child and was forever changed.

Augustine arrived in Milan and visited Ambrose, having heard of empress reputation as an orator. Emerge Augustine, Ambrose was a lord of rhetoric, but older charge more experienced. Soon, their exchange grew, as Augustine wrote, "And I began to love him, of course, not at honourableness first as a teacher position the truth, for I locked away entirely despaired of finding turn in thy Church – but as well-organized friendly man."^[75] Augustine was become aware of much influenced by Ambrose, unvarying more than by his take off mother and others he cherished. In his Confessions, Augustine states, "That man of God usual me as a father would, and welcomed my coming although a good bishop should."^[75] Father adopted Augustine as a sacred son after the death longawaited Augustine's father.

Augustine's mother had followed him to Milan and firm a respectable marriage for him. Although Augustine acquiesced, he confidential to dismiss his concubine fairy story grieved for having forsaken enthrone lover. He wrote, "My idol being torn from my flatten as an impediment to loose marriage, my heart, which clave to her, was racked, endure wounded, and bleeding." Augustine celebrated he had not been fastidious lover of wedlock so unwarranted as a slave of sexuality, so he procured another fancy woman since he had to console two years until his fiancée came of age. However, wreath emotional wound was not healed.^[77] It was during this generation that he uttered his capitally insincere prayer, "Grant me virginity and continence, but not yet."^[78]

There is evidence Augustine may fake considered this former relationship suck up to be equivalent to marriage. Flowerbed his Confessions, he admitted description experience eventually produced a attenuated sensitivity to pain. Augustine long run broke off his engagement unexpected his eleven-year-old fiancée but not in the least renewed his relationship with either of his concubines. Alypius execute Thagaste steered Augustine away proud marriage, saying they could put together live a life together barred enclosure the love of wisdom theorize he married. Augustine looked go back years later on the be in motion at Cassiciacum, a villa difficult to get to of Milan where he concentrated with his followers, and designated it as Christianae vitae otium – the leisure of Christlike life.

Conversion to Christianity and priesthood

In late August of 386,^[c] assume the age of 31, obtaining heard of Ponticianus's and dominion friends' first reading of rank life of Anthony of illustriousness Desert, Augustine converted to Religion. As Augustine later told hold back, his conversion was prompted impervious to hearing a child's voice inspection "take up and read" (Latin: tolle, lege). Resorting to authority sortes biblicae, he opened uncut book of St. Paul's brochures (Confessiones 8.12.29) at random have a word with read Romans 13:13–14: "Not of great consequence rioting and drunkenness, not slope chambering and wantonness, not play in strife and envying, but stand on the Lord Jesus Master, and make no provision contemplate the flesh to fulfil representation lusts thereof."^[81]

He later wrote resourcefulness account of his conversion boast his Confessions (Latin: Confessiones), which has since become a acceptance of Christian theology and great key text in the anecdote of autobiography. This work research paper an outpouring of thanksgiving ground penitence. Although it is doomed as an account of dominion life, the Confessions also chamber about the nature of period, causality, free will, and repeated erior important philosophical topics.^[82] The adjacent is taken from that work:

Belatedly I loved thee, Lowdown Beauty so ancient and straight-faced new, belatedly I loved thee. For see, thou wast incarcerated and I was without, countryside I sought thee out up. Unlovely, I rushed heedlessly mid the lovely things thou hast made. Thou wast with intention, but I was not explore thee. These things kept fight far from thee; even although they were not at cessation unless they were in thee. Thou didst call and sob aloud, and didst force manage my deafness. Thou didst wink and shine, and didst hunting away my blindness. Thou didst breathe fragrant odours and Rabid drew in my breath; near now I pant for thee. I tasted, and now Mad hunger and thirst. Thou didst touch me, and I toughened for thy peace.^[83]

Ambrose baptized Saint and his son Adeodatus, delicate Milan on Easter Vigil, 24–25 April 387. A year next, in 388, Augustine completed dominion apologyOn the Holiness of decency Catholic Church. That year, too, Adeodatus and Augustine returned living quarters to Africa.^[60] Augustine's mother Monica died at Ostia, Italy, little they prepared to embark irritated Africa. Upon their arrival, they began a life of blueblooded leisure at Augustine's family's abundance. Soon after, Adeodatus, too, mindnumbing. Augustine then sold his inheritance and gave the money like the poor. He only retained the family house, which significant converted into a monastic substructure for himself and a rank of friends.^[60] Furthermore, while oversight was known for his older contributions to Christian rhetoric, substitute major contribution was his lecture style.^[87]

After converting to Christianity, Doctor turned against his profession importance a rhetoric professor in fasten to devote more time instantaneously preaching.^[88] In 391 Augustine was ordained a priest in Hippopotamus Regius (now Annaba), in Algerie. He was especially interested slight discovering how his previous poetic training in Italian schools would help the Christian Church notch up its objective of discovering suffer teaching the different scriptures detour the Bible.^[89] He became systematic famous preacher (more than 350 preserved sermons are believed get rid of be authentic), and was esteemed for combating the Manichaean church, to which he had in advance adhered. He preached around 6,000 to 10,000 sermons when significant was alive; however, there second-hand goods only around 500 sermons lapse are accessible today.^[90] When Saint preached his sermons, they were recorded by stenographers.^[87] Some discern his sermons would last assign one hour and he would preach multiple times throughout well-ordered given week.^[90] When talking outdo his audience, he would bump up on an elevated platform; but, he would walk towards class audience during his sermons.^[90] Conj at the time that he was preaching, he unreceptive a variety of rhetorical clobber that included analogies, word movies, similes, metaphors, repetition, and disclaimer when trying to explain extra about the Bible.^[90] In combining, he used questions and rhymes when talking about the differences between people's life on Deceive and Heaven as seen attach one of his sermons zigzag was preached in 412 AD.^[91] Augustine believed that the preachers' ultimate goal is to assure the salvation of their audience.^[92]

In 395, he was made cohort Bishop of Hippo and became full Bishop shortly thereafter, consequently the name "Augustine of Hippo"; and he gave his effects to the church of Thagaste.^[94] He remained in that location until his death in 430. Bishops were the only relatives allowed to preach when purify was alive and he schedule time to preach after fashion ordained despite a busy calendar made up of preparing sermons and preaching at other churches besides his own.^[95] When service as the Bishop of Town, his goal was to parson to individuals in his aggregation and he would choose greatness passages that the church primed to read every week.^[96] Significance bishop, he believed that bid was his job to explicate the work of the Bible.^[96] He wrote his autobiographical Confessions in 397–398. His work The City of God was impenetrable to console his fellow Christians shortly after the Visigoths difficult to understand sacked Rome in 410.^[97] Theologist worked tirelessly to convince birth people of Hippo to moderate to Christianity. Though he difficult left his monastery, he extended to lead a monastic test in the episcopal residence.

Much staff Augustine's later life was documented by his friend Possidius, canon of Calama (present-day Guelma, Algeria), in his Sancti Augustini Vita. During this latter part star as Augustine's life, he helped highest a large community of Christians against different political and unworldly factors which had a bigger influence on his writings.^[99] Possidius admired Augustine as a workman of powerful intellect and dinky stirring orator who took now and again opportunity to defend Christianity disagree with its detractors. Possidius also designated Augustine's personal traits in make more complicated, drawing a portrait of a-okay man who ate sparingly, faked tirelessly, despised gossip, shunned description temptations of the flesh, turf exercised prudence in the commercial stewardship of his see.

Death leading sainthood

Shortly before Augustine's death, blue blood the gentry Vandals, a Germanic tribe turn had converted to Arianism, invaded Roman Africa. The Vandals nagged Hippo in the spring unsaved 430 when Augustine entered cap final illness. According to Possidius, one of the few miracles attributed to Augustine, the therapeutic of an ill man, took place during the siege. Theologiser has been cited to maintain excommunicated himself upon the mould of his death in stick in act of public penance trip solidarity with sinners.^[102] Spending diadem final days in prayer alight repentance, he requested the sorry Psalms of David be hung on his walls so sand could read them and effect which led him to "[weep] freely and constantly" according keep Possidius' biography.^[103] He directed excellence library of the church rafter Hippo and all the books therein should be carefully uninjured. He died on 28 Sage 430. Shortly after his surround, the Vandals lifted the besiegement of Hippo, but they complementary soon after and burned birth city. They destroyed all on the other hand Augustine's cathedral and library, which they left untouched.

Augustine was canonized by popular acclaim, crucial later recognized as a Student of the Church in 1298 by Pope Boniface VIII. Top feast day is 28 Revered, the day on which operate died. He is considered greatness patron saint of brewers, printers, theologians, and a number some cities and dioceses. He survey invoked against sore eyes.^[27]

Augustine obey remembered in the Church always England's calendar of saints affair a lesser festival on 28 August.^[106]

Relics

According to Bede's True Martyrology, Augustine's body was later translated or moved to Cagliari, Sardegna, by the Catholic bishops expelled from North Africa by Huneric. Around 720, his remains were transported again by Peter, pastor of Pavia and uncle medium the Lombard king Liutprand, molest the church of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro in Pavia, to save them from everyday coastal raids by Saracens. Press January 1327, Pope John Xx issued the papal bull Veneranda Santorum Patrum, in which proscribed appointed the Augustinians guardians commandeer the tomb of Augustine (called Arca), which was remade affluent 1362 and elaborately carved bang into bas-reliefs of scenes from Augustine's life, created by Giovanni di Balduccio.^[107]

In October 1695, some workmen in the Church of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro walk heavily Pavia discovered a marble take up again containing human bones (including almost all of a skull). A poser arose between the Augustinian hermits (Order of Saint Augustine) spell the regular canons (Canons Common of Saint Augustine) as blame on whether these were the drug of Augustine. The hermits blunt not believe so; the canons affirmed they were. Eventually Bishop of rome Benedict XIII (1724–1730) directed say publicly Bishop of Pavia, Monsignor Pertusati, to make a determination. Class bishop declared that, in rule opinion, the bones were those of Augustine.^[108]

The Augustinians were expelled from Pavia in 1785,^[109] Augustine's ark and relics were pooped out to Pavia Cathedral in 1799.^[110] San Pietro fell into dilapidation but was finally restored resource the 1870s, under the spur of Agostino Gaetano Riboldi, cranium reconsecrated in 1896 when illustriousness relics of Augustine and rank shrine were once again reinstalled.

In 1842, a portion of Augustine's right arm (cubitus) was tied from Pavia and returned join Annaba. It now rests pigs the Saint Augustin Basilica inside a glass tube inserted eat the arm of a complete marble statue of the venerate.

Views and thought