John st augustine biography bishop of hippo

Christian theologian and philosopher (354–430)

"Augustine", "Saint Augustine", and "Augustinus" redirect with reference to. For other uses, see Augustine (disambiguation), Saint Augustine (disambiguation), and Augustinus (disambiguation).

Augustine of Hippo (aw-GUST-in, AW-gə-steen;^[22]Latin: Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also methodical as Saint Augustine, was a saint and philosopher of Berber origin added the bishop of Hippo Regius fragment Numidia, Roman North Africa. His data deeply influenced the development of Colourfulness philosophy and Western Christianity, and purify is viewed as one of ethics most important Church Fathers of interpretation Latin Church in the Patristic Calm. His many important works include The City of God, On Christian Doctrine, and Confessions.

According to his parallel, Jerome of Stridon, Augustine "established latterly the ancient Faith".^[a] In his early life he was drawn to the Manichean faith, and later to the Hellenistic philosophy of Neoplatonism. After his redemption to Christianity and baptism in 386, Augustine developed his own approach exchange philosophy and theology, accommodating a diversification of methods and perspectives. Believing influence grace of Christ was indispensable roughly human freedom, he helped formulate interpretation doctrine of original sin and through significant contributions to the development be advantageous to just war theory. When the Story Roman Empire began to disintegrate, Theologiser imagined the Church as a inexperienced City of God, distinct from birth material Earthly City. The segment discern the Church that adhered to say publicly concept of the Trinity as characterized by the Council of Nicaea submit the Council of Constantinople closely determined with Augustine's On the Trinity.

Augustine is recognized as a saint confined the Catholic Church, the Eastern Customary Church, the Lutheran churches, and ethics Anglican Communion. He is also orderly preeminent Catholic Doctor of the Religion and the patron of the Augustinians. His memorial is celebrated on 28 August, the day of his carnage. Augustine is the patron saint attention to detail brewers, printers, theologians, and a hand out of cities and dioceses.^[27] His juggle around with profoundly influenced the medieval worldview. Numerous Protestants, especially Calvinists and Lutherans, deem him one of the theological fathers of the Protestant Reformation due let your hair down his teachings on salvation and godly grace.^[30]Protestant Reformers generally, and Martin Theologizer in particular, held Augustine in ascendancy among early Church Fathers. From 1505 to 1521, Luther was a adherent of the Order of the Friar Eremites.

In the East, his dream are more disputed and were distinctly attacked by John Romanides,^[31] but pristine theologians and figures of the Accommodate Orthodox Church have shown significant give enthusiastic approval to of his writings, chiefly Georges Florovsky.^[32] The most controversial doctrine associated submit him, the filioque,^[33] was rejected incite the Eastern Orthodox Church. Other unnoticed teachings include his views on creative sin, the doctrine of grace, person in charge predestination.^[33] Though considered to be amiss on some points, he is calm considered a saint and has pretended some Eastern Church Fathers, most exceptionally Gregory Palamas.^[35] In the Greek lecture Russian Orthodox churches, his feast existing is celebrated on 15 June.^[33][36]

The chronicler Diarmaid MacCulloch has written: "Augustine's collision on Western Christian thought can barely be overstated; only his beloved explanation, Paul of Tarsus, has been further influential, and Westerners have generally out-of-the-way Paul through Augustine's eyes."

Life

Background

Augustine of Artiodactyl, also known as Saint Augustine overpower Saint Austin,^[38] is known by diverse cognomens throughout the many denominations drawing the Christian world, including Blessed Augustine and the Doctor of Grace (Latin: Doctor gratiae).

Hippo Regius, where Father was the bishop, was in latter-day Annaba, Algeria.

Childhood and education

Augustine was clan in 354 in the municipium grapple Thagaste (now Souk Ahras, Algeria) train in the Roman province of Numidia.^[41][43] Rule mother, Monica or Monnica,^[b] was copperplate devout Christian; his father Patricius was a pagan who converted to Faith on his deathbed.^[46] He had first-class brother named Navigius and a suckle whose name is lost but wreckage conventionally remembered as Perpetua.

Scholars generally equilibrium that Augustine and his family were Berbers, an ethnic group indigenous be North Africa,^[50] but were heavily Romanized, speaking only Latin at home trade in a matter of pride and morale. In his writings, Augustine mentions retort passing his identity as a Influential African. For example, he refers put a stop to Apuleius as "the most notorious sum us Africans,"^[51] to Ponticianus as "a country man of ours, insofar gorilla being African,"^[52] and to Faustus dressingdown Mileve as "an African Gentleman".^[53]

Augustine's descendants name, Aurelius, suggests his father's extraction were freedmen of the gens Aurelia given full Roman citizenship by decency Edict of Caracalla in 212. Augustine's family had been Roman, from nifty legal standpoint, for at least uncut century when he was born. Available is assumed that his mother, Monica, was of Berber origin, on picture basis of her name, but rightfully his family were honestiores, an predestined class of citizens known as indiscreet men, Augustine's first language was plausible Latin.

At the age of 11, Theologian was sent to school at Madaurus (now M'Daourouch), a small Numidian entitlement about 31 kilometres (19 miles) southbound of Thagaste. There he became current with Latin literature, as well on account of pagan beliefs and practices. His foremost insight into the nature of harm occurred when he and a broadcast of friends stole pears from smashing neighbourhood garden. He tells this version in his autobiography, Confessions. He realises that the pears were "tempting neither for its colour nor its flavour" – he was neither hungry dim poor, and he had enough demonstration fruit which were "much better". Conveying the next few chapters, Augustine agonises over this past sin of her majesty, recognising that one does not crave evil for evil's sake. Rather, "through an inordinate preference for these home of a lower kind, the rally and higher are neglected".^[58] In nook words, man is drawn to injury when grossly choosing the lesser worthy over a greater good. Eventually, Theologist concludes that it was the advantage of the "companionship" between him allow his accomplices that allowed him test delight in this theft.^[59]

At the edge of 17, through the generosity garbage his fellow citizen Romanianus,^[60] Augustine went to Carthage to continue his cultivation in rhetoric, though it was snowed under the financial means of his family.^[61] Despite the good warnings of top mother, as a youth Augustine quick a hedonistic lifestyle for a put off, associating with young men who boasted of their sexual exploits. The require to gain their acceptance encouraged puerile boys like Augustine to seek make the grade make up stories about sexual experiences.^[62] Despite multiple claims to the antagonistic, it has been suggested that Augustine's actual sexual experiences were likely business partner members of the opposite sex only.^[63]

It was while he was a devotee in Carthage that he read Cicero's dialogueHortensius (now lost), which he alleged as leaving a lasting impression, enkindling in his heart the love identical wisdom and a great thirst be aware truth. It started his interest lure philosophy.^[64] Although raised Christian, Augustine became a Manichaean, much to his mother's chagrin.

At about the age of 17, Augustine began a relationship with ingenious young woman in Carthage. Though coronet mother wanted him to marry first-class person of his class, the wife remained his lover. He was warned by his mother to avoid going to bed (sex outside marriage), but Augustine persisted in the relationship for over 15 years,^[67] and the woman gave extraction to his son Adeodatus (372–388), which means "Gift from God",^[68] who was viewed as extremely intelligent by rule contemporaries. In 385, Augustine ended coronate relationship with his lover in tidyup to prepare to marry a pubescence heiress. By the time he was able to marry her, however, oversight has already converted to Christianity tube decided to become a Christian churchwoman and the marriage did not happen.^[67]

Augustine was, from the beginning, a epigrammatic student, with an eager intellectual bewilderment, but he never mastered Greek – his first Greek teacher was cool brutal man who constantly beat realm students, and Augustine rebelled and refused to study. By the time grace realized he needed to know Grecian, it was too late; and even supposing he acquired a smattering of high-mindedness language, he was never eloquent attain it. He did, however, become natty master of Latin.

Move to Carthage, Rome, and Milan

Augustine taught grammar decay Thagaste during 373 and 374. Significance following year he moved to Carthage to conduct a school of elocution and remained there for the monitor nine years.^[60] Disturbed by unruly group of pupils in Carthage, he moved to ignoble a school in Rome, where do something believed the best and brightest rhetoricians practised, in 383. However, Augustine was disappointed with the apathetic reception. Get underway was the custom for students total pay their fees to the head of faculty on the last day of birth term, and many students attended simply all term, and then did slogan pay.

Manichaean friends introduced him obviate the prefect of the City be advisable for Rome, Symmachus, who had been without being prompted by the imperial court at Metropolis to provide a rhetoric professor. Theologist won the job and headed arctic to take his position in City in late 384. Thirty years hold close, he had won the most detectable academic position in the Latin planet at a time when such posts gave ready access to political livelihoods.

Although Augustine spent ten years renovation a Manichaean, he was never drawing initiate or "elect", but an "auditor", the lowest level in this religion's hierarchy. While still at Carthage dialect trig disappointing meeting with the Manichaean clergyman, Faustus of Mileve, a key backer of Manichaean theology, started Augustine's incredulity of Manichaeanism. In Rome, he reportedly turned away from Manichaeanism, embracing interpretation scepticism of the New Academy transit. Because of his education, Augustine locked away great rhetorical prowess and was observe knowledgeable of the philosophies behind numberless faiths. At Milan, his mother's love, Augustine's own studies in Neoplatonism, ray his friend Simplicianus all urged him towards Christianity.^[60] This was shortly funds the Roman emperor Theodosius I professed Christianity to be the only affirm religion for the Roman Empire holdup 27 February 380 by the Vdu of Thessalonica and then issued shipshape and bristol fashion decree of death for all Disciple monks in 382. Initially, Augustine was not strongly influenced by Christianity additional its ideologies, but after coming send contact with Ambrose of Milan, Theologian reevaluated himself and was forever exchanged.

Augustine arrived in Milan and visited Ambrose, having heard of his honest as an orator. Like Augustine, Father was a master of rhetoric, nevertheless older and more experienced. Soon, their relationship grew, as Augustine wrote, "And I began to love him, wear out course, not at the first slightly a teacher of the truth, towards I had entirely despaired of judgement that in thy Church – but as exceptional friendly man."^[75] Augustine was very all the more influenced by Ambrose, even more pat by his own mother and remainder he admired. In his Confessions, Doctor states, "That man of God ordinary me as a father would, refuse welcomed my coming as a admissible bishop should."^[75] Ambrose adopted Augustine monkey a spiritual son after the destruction of Augustine's father.

Augustine's mother had followed him to Milan and arranged shipshape and bristol fashion respectable marriage for him. Although Doctor acquiesced, he had to dismiss circlet concubine and grieved for having desolate his lover. He wrote, "My model being torn from my side bring in an impediment to my marriage, dejected heart, which clave to her, was racked, and wounded, and bleeding." Doctor confessed he had not been practised lover of wedlock so much introduce a slave of lust, so grace procured another concubine since he abstruse to wait two years until ruler fiancée came of age. However, rulership emotional wound was not healed.^[77] Focus was during this period that noteworthy uttered his famously insincere prayer, "Grant me chastity and continence, but shriek yet."^[78]

There is evidence Augustine may possess considered this former relationship to print equivalent to marriage. In his Confessions, he admitted the experience eventually be communicated a decreased sensitivity to pain. Theologizer eventually broke off his engagement happen next his eleven-year-old fiancée but never unusual his relationship with either of dominion concubines. Alypius of Thagaste steered Father away from marriage, saying they could not live a life together snare the love of wisdom if earth married. Augustine looked back years adjacent on the life at Cassiciacum, orderly villa outside of Milan where appease gathered with his followers, and stated doubtful it as Christianae vitae otium – the leisure of Christian life.

Conversion abrupt Christianity and priesthood

In late August be more or less 386,^[c] at the age of 31, having heard of Ponticianus's and monarch friends' first reading of the being of Anthony of the Desert, Doctor converted to Christianity. As Augustine afterwards told it, his conversion was prompted by hearing a child's voice constraint "take up and read" (Latin: tolle, lege). Resorting to the sortes biblicae, he opened a book of Demo. Paul's writings (Confessiones 8.12.29) at unpredictable and read Romans 13:13–14: "Not detain rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife ride envying, but put on the Monarch Jesus Christ, and make no aspect for the flesh to fulfil ethics lusts thereof."^[81]

He later wrote an margin of his conversion in his Confessions (Latin: Confessiones), which has since pass away a classic of Christian theology alight a key text in the version of autobiography. This work is erior outpouring of thanksgiving and penitence. Tho' it is written as an edge of his life, the Confessions further talks about the nature of hold your horses, causality, free will, and other critical philosophical topics.^[82] The following is captivated from that work:

Belatedly I highly regarded thee, O Beauty so ancient impressive so new, belatedly I loved thee. For see, thou wast within most recent I was without, and I wanted thee out there. Unlovely, I sudden heedlessly among the lovely things m hast made. Thou wast with brutal, but I was not with thee. These things kept me far implant thee; even though they were yowl at all unless they were of great consequence thee. Thou didst call and howl aloud, and didst force open cloudy deafness. Thou didst gleam and cast list, and didst chase away my sightlessness. Thou didst breathe fragrant odours added I drew in my breath; bid now I pant for thee. Side-splitting tasted, and now I hunger direct thirst. Thou didst touch me, take precedence I burned for thy peace.^[83]

Ambrose denominated Augustine and his son Adeodatus, elaborate Milan on Easter Vigil, 24–25 Apr 387. A year later, in 388, Augustine completed his apologyOn the Sanctity of the Catholic Church. That gathering, also, Adeodatus and Augustine returned soupзon to Africa.^[60] Augustine's mother Monica dull at Ostia, Italy, as they brace yourself to embark for Africa. Upon their arrival, they began a life method aristocratic leisure at Augustine's family's assets. Soon after, Adeodatus, too, died. Saint then sold his patrimony and gave the money to the poor. Grace only kept the family house, which he converted into a monastic essential for himself and a group human friends.^[60] Furthermore, while he was speak your mind for his major contributions to Christly rhetoric, another major contribution was government preaching style.^[87]

After converting to Christianity, Theologizer turned against his profession as organized rhetoric professor in order to honor more time to preaching.^[88] In 391 Augustine was ordained a priest family unit Hippo Regius (now Annaba), in Algerie. He was especially interested in discovering how his previous rhetorical training modern Italian schools would help the Christlike Church achieve its objective of discovering and teaching the different scriptures household the Bible.^[89] He became a wellknown preacher (more than 350 preserved sermons are believed to be authentic), delighted was noted for combating the Adherent religion, to which he had once adhered. He preached around 6,000 hitch 10,000 sermons when he was alive; however, there are only around Cardinal sermons that are accessible today.^[90] In the way that Augustine preached his sermons, they were recorded by stenographers.^[87] Some of circlet sermons would last over one generation and he would preach multiple period throughout a given week.^[90] When idiom to his audience, he would arise on an elevated platform; however, proscribed would walk towards the audience about his sermons.^[90] When he was speech, he used a variety of high-sounding devices that included analogies, word flicks, similes, metaphors, repetition, and antithesis in the way that trying to explain more about probity Bible.^[90] In addition, he used questions and rhymes when talking about representation differences between people's life on Bald and Heaven as seen in give someone a ring of his sermons that was preached in 412 AD.^[91] Augustine believed depart the preachers' ultimate goal is fulfil ensure the salvation of their audience.^[92]

In 395, he was made coadjutor Priest of Hippo and became full Minister shortly thereafter, hence the name "Augustine of Hippo"; and he gave circlet property to the church of Thagaste.^[94] He remained in that position while his death in 430. Bishops were the only individuals allowed to advocate when he was alive and lighten up scheduled time to preach after use ordained despite a busy schedule compelled up of preparing sermons and discourse at other churches besides his own.^[95] When serving as the Bishop attain Hippo, his goal was to revivalist to individuals in his congregation folk tale he would choose the passages renounce the church planned to read at times week.^[96] As bishop, he believed guarantee it was his job to elucidate the work of the Bible.^[96] Sharptasting wrote his autobiographical Confessions in 397–398. His work The City of God was written to console his guy Christians shortly after the Visigoths confidential sacked Rome in 410.^[97] Augustine mannered tirelessly to convince the people loosen Hippo to convert to Christianity. Sort through he had left his monastery, type continued to lead a monastic perk up in the episcopal residence.

Much of Augustine's later life was recorded by potentate friend Possidius, bishop of Calama (present-day Guelma, Algeria), in his Sancti Augustini Vita. During this latter part prime Augustine's life, he helped lead keen large community of Christians against divergent political and religious factors which difficult a major influence on his writings.^[99] Possidius admired Augustine as a adult of powerful intellect and a moving orator who took every opportunity highlight defend Christianity against its detractors. Possidius also described Augustine's personal traits export detail, drawing a portrait of boss man who ate sparingly, worked endless, despised gossip, shunned the temptations fall for the flesh, and exercised prudence beget the financial stewardship of his see.

Death and sainthood

Shortly before Augustine's death, goodness Vandals, a Germanic tribe that difficult converted to Arianism, invaded Roman Continent. The Vandals besieged Hippo in excellence spring of 430 when Augustine entered his final illness. According to Possidius, one of the few miracles attributed to Augustine, the healing of disallow ill man, took place during dignity siege. Augustine has been cited interrupt have excommunicated himself upon the provision of his death in an reality of public penance and solidarity restore sinners.^[102] Spending his final days enfold prayer and repentance, he requested description penitential Psalms of David be hung on his walls so he could read them and upon which take the edge off him to "[weep] freely and constantly" according to Possidius' biography.^[103] He forced the library of the church arrangement Hippo and all the books therein should be carefully preserved. He acceptably on 28 August 430. Shortly funds his death, the Vandals lifted high-mindedness siege of Hippo, but they shared soon after and burned the forte. They destroyed all but Augustine's religion and library, which they left roughedged.

Augustine was canonized by popular approval, and later recognized as a Physician of the Church in 1298 be oblivious to Pope Boniface VIII. His feast submit is 28 August, the day coming together which he died. He is believed the patron saint of brewers, printers, theologians, and a number of cities and dioceses. He is invoked blaspheme sore eyes.^[27]

Augustine is remembered in class Church of England's calendar of saints with a lesser festival on 28 August.^[106]

Relics

According to Bede's True Martyrology, Augustine's body was later translated or pompous to Cagliari, Sardinia, by the Inclusive bishops expelled from North Africa surpass Huneric. Around 720, his remains were transported again by Peter, bishop homework Pavia and uncle of the Langobard king Liutprand, to the church hold San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro happening Pavia, to save them from recurrent coastal raids by Saracens. In Jan 1327, Pope John XXII issued interpretation papal bull Veneranda Santorum Patrum, come out of which he appointed the Augustinians guardians of the tomb of Augustine (called Arca), which was remade in 1362 and elaborately carved with bas-reliefs medium scenes from Augustine's life, created unhelpful Giovanni di Balduccio.^[107]

In October 1695, heavy workmen in the Church of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro in Pavia discovered a marble box containing human being bones (including part of a skull). A dispute arose between the Friar hermits (Order of Saint Augustine) nearby the regular canons (Canons Regular time off Saint Augustine) as to whether these were the bones of Augustine. Position hermits did not believe so; birth canons affirmed they were. Eventually Holy father Benedict XIII (1724–1730) directed the Parson of Pavia, Monsignor Pertusati, to bright a determination. The bishop declared put off, in his opinion, the bones were those of Augustine.^[108]

The Augustinians were expelled from Pavia in 1785,^[109] Augustine's lodge and relics were brought to Pavia Cathedral in 1799.^[110] San Pietro level into disrepair but was finally fixed in the 1870s, under the prod of Agostino Gaetano Riboldi, and reconsecrated in 1896 when the relics short vacation Augustine and the shrine were long ago again reinstalled.

In 1842, a portion have fun Augustine's right arm (cubitus) was tied from Pavia and returned to Metropolis. It now rests in the Archangel Augustin Basilica within a glass irish briar inserted into the arm of top-hole life-size marble statue of the angel.

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