AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO 354430

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AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO(354-430)

• Mother (St. Monica) was Christian, father was
  Roman official His mother prayed for his
  conversion all of his life.
• Wrote about the human will and Gods grace
• Formulated the doctrines of original sin and
  divine predestination
• Famous Quotes
• 1)My heart is restless until it rests in Thee.
• 2) Give me chastity and continence, but not
  yet

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Augustines early life

• Augustine fully immersed himself in the pleasures
  of the senses (wine, women, material)
• He also, however, pursued REASON, becoming a
  neo-Platonist and Manichean
• Despite both the pursuit of the material, as well
  as reason, he still was restless for human
  fulfillment

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Augustines Famous Conversion

• Having intellectually been drawn to Christianity,
  Augustine continues to cling to his desires,
  until one day he reads the lines
• Not in riots and drunken parties, not in
  eroticism and indecencies, not in strife and
  rivalry, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and
  make no provision for the flesh in its lusts
  Romans 1313-14

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Augustines Life

• After this, Augustine is baptized a Christian and
  becomes a Monk in Hippo (Africa).
• After a life of prayer and scholarship, Augustine
  becomes a Bishop and writes some very important
  theological writings for the emerging Christian
  Church
• He, with St. Thomas Aquinas, are still the most
  influential theological thinkers on Christianity
  since Paul the Apostle

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Heresies Augustine Combats

• Manicheans Believed in two forcesone evil, the
  other good. Augustine one force, God (all good),
  evil comes from mans clinging to physical
  desires (Doctrine of Original Sin)--concupiscence
• Donatists Believed that a sacrament was not
  legitimate if performed by a sinful priest
• Pelagius Believed that man can save themselves
  by their own effort Augustine We are saved by
  Gods grace alone
• (Doctrine of Predestination) Outside of time,
  God knows who will respond to his offered grace

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Epistemology and Metaphysics Augustine and Plato

• Augustine theology is built upon Platos
  philosophy

Augustine
Plato
Reason
Reason
Spirit/Will
Will
Body
Body/Senses
Bodily/Material World/Concupiscence leads to sin
Escape the cave through reason material world is
an illusion
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Epistemology and Metaphysics Augustine and Plato

• Body/Senses Like Plato, Augustine believed that
  the senses led to darkness/Sin
• Spirit/Will Like Plato, Augustine believed that
  if our will followed our senses, we would become
  miserable
• Reason Unlike Plato, Augustine believed that
  REASON alone would not free us
• Spirit/Will Augustine believed that we had to
  turn our will over to God by faith, trusting that
  he would give us GRACE to overcome

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Epistemology and Metaphysics Augustine and Plato
Step Two God gives grace to trusting will
Step 3 ConversionElectric company version of
grace

• Augustine

Step 4 Grace/Faith with Reason illumination
Reason
Spirit/Will
Step One human must turn will over to God
Body/Senses
Escape sin 1) faith-trust, 2) Gods grace, 3)
Conversion /electric company version of grace, 4)
Reason with grace illumination
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Divine illumination the work of grace

• human beings require special divine assistance
  in their cognitive activities (process of
  knowing)
• gives the knower the ability to see eternal
  truths (true, good, beautiful)
• It is in this way that Reason and Faith (or
  Philosophy and Theology) work hand in hand

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Analysis of Augustine

• Impact of Augustine on Christianity
• We cannot save ourselves only God can faith
  involves a trusta free offering of your will to
  God
• The Material World has its limitationsour human
  desires constantly want to cling to the sensual
  pleasuressalvation is not found there
• God/grace can change our lives if we allow it

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Critique of Augustine

• 1) It is an overly negative/pessimistic view of
  the material world and mans nature Has led some
  to overemphasize this negative view of body, the
  natural world, and mans knowledge (e.g. art,
  science, dancing, etc.)
• 2) Because of the Platonic duality Augustines
  theology relies onsome followers have a tendency
  to see the world in black and white termsthe
  saved (those who follow Gods rules) and the
  damned (those who participate in the worldly
  desires). Worldly/material truths are seen as
  sinful.

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Critique of Augustinian Theology

• 3) His electric company version of grace has led
  to an overemphasis on sudden and one-time
  conversions (born again) sometimes quite
  emotional and unfriendly to reason
• St. Thomas Aquinas poses a very different version
  of conversion/grace