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He is also notable for being one of the first to write a [[rule]] for the community of priests at his cathedral in [[Hippo]]. This Rule was later to become the foundation for the Augustinian Order.

He is also notable for being one of the first to write a [[rule]] for the community of priests at his cathedral in [[Hippo]]. This Rule was later to become the foundation for the Augustinian Order.

Augustine wrote against [[slavery]], which was rampant in the ancient world, and on which the Roman Empire was utterly dependent.  He boldly wrote a letter urging the emperor to set up a new law against slave traders and was very much concerned about the sale of children.  Christian emperors of his time for 25 years had permitted the sale of children, not because they approved of it, but as a way of preventing infanticide when parents were unable to care for a child.  He noted that the tenant farmers, in particular, were driven to hire out or to sell their children as a means of survival <ref>The Saints, p. 72</ref>  In his famous book, ''[[The City of God]]'', the development of slavery is seen as a product of sin and as contrary to God's divine plan.  He wrote that God "did not intend that this rational creature, who was made in His image, should have dominion over anything but the irrational creation--not man over man, but man over the beasts."  Thus he wrote that righteous men in primitive times were made shepherds of cattle, not kings over men.  "The condition of slavery is the result of sin," he declared.  He argued that the first mention of slavery in the Bible is Noah's prophecy concerning his grandson Canaan and his descendants.  Therefore, Augustine reasoned, slavery was "introduced by sin and not by nature."<ref>Augustine, ''The City of God'', Chapter 15, p. 411, Vol. II, Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers, Wm. Eerdman's, Grand Rapids, MI, reprinted 1986</ref>

Augustine wrote against [[slavery]], which was rampant in the ancient world, and on which the Roman Empire was utterly dependent.  He boldly wrote a letter urging the emperor to set up a new law against slave traders and was very much concerned about the sale of children.  Christian emperors of his time for 25 years had permitted the sale of children, not because they approved of it, but as a way of preventing infanticide when parents were unable to care for a child.  He noted that the tenant farmers, in particular, were driven to hire out or to sell their children as a means of survival<ref>The Saints, p. 72</ref>  In his famous book, ''[[The City of God]]'', the development of slavery is seen as a product of sin and as contrary to God's divine plan.  He wrote that God "did not intend that this rational creature, who was made in His image, should have dominion over anything but the irrational creation--not man over man, but man over the beasts."  Thus he wrote that righteous men in primitive times were made shepherds of cattle, not kings over men.  "The condition of slavery is the result of sin," he declared.  He argued that the first mention of slavery in the Bible is Noah's prophecy concerning his grandson Canaan and his descendants.  Therefore, Augustine reasoned, slavery was "introduced by sin and not by nature."<ref>Augustine, ''The City of God'', Chapter 15, p. 411, Vol. II, Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers, Wm. Eerdman's, Grand Rapids, MI, reprinted 1986</ref>

But Augustine did more than write against slavery.  He used his position in the church to lead many clergy under his authority at Hippo to free their slaves "as an act of [[piety]]."<ref>Augustine,''Of the Work of Monks'', p. 25, Vol III Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers,  Wm. Eerdman's, Grand Rapids, MI, reprinted 1986</ref>

But Augustine did more than write against slavery.  He used his position in the church to lead many clergy under his authority at Hippo to free their slaves "as an act of [[piety]]."<ref>Augustine,''Of the Work of Monks'', p. 25, Vol III Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers,  Wm. Eerdman's, Grand Rapids, MI, reprinted 1986</ref>

[[Just War Theory]] is a Christian theory of [[Morality|moral]] [[ethics]] that goes back to Saint Augustine and St. [[Thomas Aquinas]]. Under Just War Theory only legitimate authorities can wage war for the right reasons (usually this means a defensive war, or a war of defending the weak against a violent oppressor <ref>[http://biblehub.com/proverbs/24-11.htm Proverbs 24:11] and [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/proverbs/24-11.htm commentaries]; see also [http://biblehub.com/psalms/82-4.htm Psalm 82:4] and [http://biblehub.com/job/29-17.htm Job 29:17].</ref>) and only as a last resort if every other peaceful means to avert war have been used to no avail.  A just war can only be waged if there is a serious evil that needs to be stopped.  Further, there must be a realistic chance that the evil can be stopped without starting a greater evil.  If this happens, the war reaches a just conclusion. A war started for just reasons and justly waged may still reach an unjust conclusion.

[[Just War Theory]] is a Christian theory of [[Morality|moral]] [[ethics]] that goes back to Saint Augustine and St. [[Thomas Aquinas]]. Under Just War Theory only legitimate authorities can wage war for the right reasons (usually this means a defensive war, or a war of defending the weak against a violent oppressor<ref>[http://biblehub.com/proverbs/24-11.htm Proverbs 24:11] and [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/proverbs/24-11.htm commentaries]; see also [http://biblehub.com/psalms/82-4.htm Psalm 82:4] and [http://biblehub.com/job/29-17.htm Job 29:17].</ref>) and only as a last resort if every other peaceful means to avert war have been used to no avail.  A just war can only be waged if there is a serious evil that needs to be stopped.  Further, there must be a realistic chance that the evil can be stopped without starting a greater evil.  If this happens, the war reaches a just conclusion. A war started for just reasons and justly waged may still reach an unjust conclusion.

== Books ==

== Books ==

"No man can find salvation save in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church he can find everything except salvation. He can have dignities, he can have the Sacraments, can sing ‘Alleluia’, answer ‘Amen’, accept the Gospels, have faith in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and preach it, too, but never except in the Catholic Church can he find salvation."<ref name=DoctorsOfTheChurch>[https://es.scribd.com/doc/34239355/Doctors-of-the-Church-on-Extra-Ecclesiam-Nulla-Salus Doctors of The Church On "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus"]</ref>

"No man can find salvation save in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church he can find everything except salvation. He can have dignities, he can have the Sacraments, can sing ‘Alleluia’, answer ‘Amen’, accept the Gospels, have faith in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and preach it, too, but never except in the Catholic Church can he find salvation."<ref name=DoctorsOfTheChurch>[https://es.scribd.com/doc/34239355/Doctors-of-the-Church-on-Extra-Ecclesiam-Nulla-Salus Doctors of The Church On "Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus"]</ref>

{{cquote|Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of this world, about the motion and orbit of the stars and even their size and relative positions, about the predictable eclipses of the sun and moon, the cycles of the years and the seasons, about the kinds of animals, shrubs, stones, and so forth, and this knowledge he hold to as being certain from reason and experience. '''Now, it is a disgraceful and dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a Christian, presumably giving the meaning of Holy Scripture, talking nonsense on these topics; and we should take all means to prevent such an embarrassing situation, in which people show up vast ignorance in a Christian and laugh it to scorn'''. The shame is not so much that an ignorant individual is derided, but that people outside the household of faith think our sacred writers held such opinions, and, to the great loss of those for whose salvation we toil, the writers of our Scripture are criticized and rejected as unlearned men. '''If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven''', when they think their pages are full of falsehoods and on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason? Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. '''For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion'''.'' -- De Genesi ad litteram libri duodecim ("The Literal Meaning of Genesis") <ref>http://www.pibburns.com/augustin.htm</ref>}}

{{cquote|Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of this world, about the motion and orbit of the stars and even their size and relative positions, about the predictable eclipses of the sun and moon, the cycles of the years and the seasons, about the kinds of animals, shrubs, stones, and so forth, and this knowledge he hold to as being certain from reason and experience. '''Now, it is a disgraceful and dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a Christian, presumably giving the meaning of Holy Scripture, talking nonsense on these topics; and we should take all means to prevent such an embarrassing situation, in which people show up vast ignorance in a Christian and laugh it to scorn'''. The shame is not so much that an ignorant individual is derided, but that people outside the household of faith think our sacred writers held such opinions, and, to the great loss of those for whose salvation we toil, the writers of our Scripture are criticized and rejected as unlearned men. '''If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven''', when they think their pages are full of falsehoods and on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason? Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. '''For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion'''.'' -- De Genesi ad litteram libri duodecim ("The Literal Meaning of Genesis")<ref>http://www.pibburns.com/augustin.htm</ref>}}

== Book biography of Saint Augustine ==

== Book biography of Saint Augustine ==