Augustine

Cicero• One of the greatest of Roman Orators

• Offered to the Romans a World-View

• Observed most seek happiness from food, money & sex

Cicero• Indulgent pleasures lead to misery…not happiness

• Humility, discipline & selflessness replaces the Roman dream of Indulgence

Cicero• Cicero would rock the world of Augustine

Mani• Born around 216AD in area of modern-day Iran

• Offered the Romans a new Christian World-View

• Light & Darkness | above waist, below waist

Mani• Heaven is your light to be re-absorbed into the Great Light

• Augustine was heavily influenced by Mani

Plotinus• Plotinus (205-270AD) started a school of philosophy in Rome which became a hub of intellectual activity

• Offered the Romans a new World-View

Plotinus• “Plotinus lived an ascetic life with very little food or sleep. He ate only vegetables and never took a bath. His own body and person seem to have been of little interest to him, as though he were living as independently of them as possible.”

Plotinus• Rediscovered Plato

• Some thought he was Plato

• Disagreed with Mani…taught only one Kingdom (not light/darkness)

Plotinus• Concentric circles from a water splash (Good & Evil)

• Augustine would spend a great deal of time contemplating Plotinus

Early Years• Born in 354AD in a self-indulgent boom town in northern Africa

• Dad was pagan, mother was a passionate believer in Jesus

• Moved to Carthage to enter university at 17

Early Years• Lived w/girlfriend

• Studied Rhetoric: more valuable to speak convincingly than truthfully

• Began to study Cicero

Early Years• Cicero let Augustine know his self-indulgent life would end in misery

Early Years• “Suddenly, all empty hope for my career lost its appeal; and I was left with an unbelievable fire in my heart, desiring the deathless qualities of Wisdom, and I made a start to rise up and return to Thee…I was on fire, my God, on fire to fly away from earthly things to Thee.”

Early Years• Became a Manichee

• Ridiculed Christianity, claimed to be the intelligent belief system

• Saw evil as the equal opposite to good…God was not to blame for evil

Early Years• Monica was so upset by him being a Manichee she would not let him in the house.

• Augustine led several of his friends to become Manichees

•He taught strict self-denial but lived an indulgent life style

Early Years• “He was told his questions were very profound, and that there was a great Manichean teacher, a certain Faustus, who could answer them. When the much announced Faustus finally arrived, he turned out to be no better than the other Manichean teachers. Disappointed, Augustine decided to carry on his quest in different directions.”

- Justo Gonzalez

Professor• Became Rhetoric Professor in Milan at 30

• Became a neo-Platonist drawn by their view of evil

• Evil exists, not a “thing”

Professor• Neo-platonism opened the door for Augustine to become a Christian

• He thought the Bible was a sloppy, second rate work

• His mother invited him to hear the bishop of Milan (Ambrose)

Professor• He first simply enjoyed how Ambrose talked, not what he talked about.

• He then saw through the preaching of Ambrose how the Bible could be the Word of God

• At this time he said the famous, “Give me chastity…but not too soon.”

Professor• Read a biography on Athanasius

• He comes fully to Christ at 35yrs old

• His mother and son tragically die

Leader/Bishop• Sold possessions to move to Cassiacum to devote himself to thinking and writing.

• Went to the city Hippo and was bishop in 4 years

• His famous writings would be done during pastoral work.

His Thoughts• Began writing with a large focus on the Freedom of the Will

• Origin of evil is found in the bad decisions made by both humans and angels

• How free are we to sin? Pelagius would disagree.

His Thoughts• Pelagius claimed humans can attain a sinless life

• Human will was strong for Pelagius

• Augustine responded, “Grant what you command, and command what you will.”

His Thoughts• Augustine’s Confessions is by far his most famous

• His work City of God was written to explain the fall of Rome

His Influence• Jerome believed Augustine had refounded the “old faith”

• His work strongly influenced Anselm, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Kant, Pascal, Abelard, etc…

“At one level all of Western theology has been – in a sense – a long series of footnotes to Augustine. He bequeathed to the church deep reflection on how to talk and think about God, how language works when speaking about God, and on the nature of the triune God. His insights as to how one must affirm one God in three divine persons – where the three are understood in terms of relationship and love – is seminal. Augustine’s doctrine of man as sinner – and hence in need of radical grace – is central to understanding Scripture, and every evangelical must still come to terms with his view of original sin. Augustine is rightfully considered the Doctor of Grace, for it is in Augustine’s understanding of grace that he has perhaps made his greatest mark on the church. The grace of God, set upon us from all eternity, that moves us to trust in and believe God, that transforms our hearts, that effectively moves us to obey God for salvation and moves in us that we persevere to the end – that is a grace worth believing and promulgating in the world today. For these and many other reasons, Augustine is worthy of our attention, and can help evangelicals as we strive to understand and serve the God of Scripture.”

Augustine