Changes

[[File:Saint Augustine by Philippe de Champaigne.jpg|right|thumbnail|300px|Saint Augustine]]

[[File:Saint Augustine by Philippe de Champaigne.jpg|right|thumbnail|300px|Saint Augustine]]

'''Saint Augustine''' or '''Augustine of Hippo''' (A.D. 354–430) is considered one of the great [[Church Fathers]] of the [[Christian]] church, and has been of momentous importance in the development of Christian thought.  He is considered the most influential Christian thinker after [[Paul]]. It was Saint Augustine who first developed the Christian [[doctrine]] of "[[original sin]]," upon which [[Saint Thomas Aquinas]] later expanded.

'''Saint Augustine''' or '''Augustine of Hippo''' (A.D. 354–430) is considered one of the great [[Church Fathers]] of the [[Christian]] [[church]] and has been of momentous importance in the development of Christian thought.  He is considered the most influential Christian thinker after [[Paul]]. It was Saint Augustine who first developed the Christian [[doctrine]] of "[[original sin]]," which [[Saint Thomas Aquinas]] later expanded.

Both Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas fully supported the use of [[capital punishment]].<ref>[https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/n012rp_DeathPenalty_Aquinas.htm  St. Augustine and St. Thomas In Favor of the Death Penalty]</ref>

Both Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas fully supported the use of [[capital punishment]].<ref>[https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/n012rp_DeathPenalty_Aquinas.htm  St. Augustine and St. Thomas In Favor of the Death Penalty]</ref>

He is considered one of the greatest of the Church Fathers and has been named a [[Doctor of the Church]] by the [[Roman Catholic Church]].

He is considered one of the greatest of the Church Fathers and has been named a [[Doctor of the Church]] by the [[Roman Catholic Church]].

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 later became 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. Eerdmans, 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. Eerdmans, 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 ==

Augustine's writing is hailed as marking the beginning of the modern literary tradition, with its self-critical and deeply analytical subjects.  He wrote 252 books and several of his most noteworthy are as follows:

Augustine's writing is hailed as marking the beginning of the modern literary tradition, with its self-critical and deeply analytical subjects.  He wrote 252 books, and several of his most noteworthy are as follows:

# '''''[[Confessions]]''''', describing Augustine's travels from a member of the [[polytheistic]] Roman intelligentsia to a devoted Christian.  Augustine examines his own personal failings in life, from his love life to his own moral shortcomings, before rejoicing in his [[salvation]] through Christ, which he struggled to attain, leading to a climactic [[epiphany]] resulting in his conversion.  It is the first book to deeply consider the inner workings of the author's mind. ''Confessions''', 13 volumes total, about 115,000 words, or about 7 3/4 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.

# '''''[[Confessions]]''''', describing Augustine's travels from a member of the [[polytheistic]] Roman intelligentsia to a devoted Christian.  Augustine examines his own personal failings in life, from his love life to his own moral shortcomings, before rejoicing in his [[salvation]] through Christ, which he struggled to attain, leading to a climactic [[epiphany]] resulting in his conversion.  It is the first book to deeply consider the inner workings of the author's mind. ''Confessions'' comprises 13 books, totaling about 115,000 words in English translation, which takes about 7 and 3/4 hours of reading at a rate of 250 words per minute.

#'''''[[City of God]]''''' (''De Civitate Dei''), written in the aftermath of the sack of [[Rome]] by [[Alaric the Visigoth]], Augustine wrote ''City of God'' to answer the question of the day - if Rome had been the City of God, and now it had fallen, what's to become of [[Christianity]]?  So central was the safety of Rome to all philosophies, that which was a concern at the time.  Augustine dispels the fears of Christians in this work by reminding them that the true City of God (in the minds of the faithful) is ever-present, and can never be destroyed.

#'''''[[City of God]]''''' (''De Civitate Dei''), written in the aftermath of the sack of [[Rome]] by [[Alaric the Visigoth]], Augustine wrote ''City of God'' to answer the question of the day - if Rome had been the City of God, and now it had fallen, what's to become of [[Christianity]]?  So central was the safety of Rome to all philosophies, that it was a concern at the time.  Augustine dispels the fears of Christians in this work by reminding them that the true City of God (in the minds of the faithful) is ever-present and can never be destroyed.

#'''''On Christian Doctrine''''' (''De Doctrina Christiana''), written in the twilight of Augustine's life, in which Augustine explains how he has approached the [[Bible]] as the word of God.  Augustine somberly reflects that his mind - or indeed, the mind of any mortal man - can never fully understand God's word, since it is too beautiful, complex, and rich to be completely understood by a feeble human mind.  In this sense, Augustine carries some trace of [[Plato]] into [[Christianity]].  Augustine describes 7 levels of Biblical [[exegesis]], the last being almost unattainable, and self-critically remarks that even in a life of study he has barely reached the 5th.  To Augustine, literalism was the 1st level of exegesis - shallow and researching.

#'''''On Christian Doctrine''''' (''De Doctrina Christiana''), written in the twilight of Augustine's life, in which Augustine explains how he has approached the [[Bible]] as the word of God.  Augustine somberly reflects that his mind - or indeed, the mind of any mortal man - can never fully understand God's word, since it is too beautiful, complex, and rich to be completely understood by a feeble human mind.  In this sense, Augustine carries some trace of [[Plato]] into [[Christianity]].  Augustine describes 7 levels of Biblical [[exegesis]], the last being almost unattainable, and self-critically remarks that even in a life of study he has barely reached the 5th.  To Augustine, literalism was the 1st level of exegesis - shallow and research-based.

#'''''Retractions''''', written at the old age of 72, in which Augustine carefully reexamined his prior works and made revisions as he felt appropriate.

#'''''Retractions''''', written at the old age of 72, in which Augustine carefully reexamined his prior works and made revisions as he felt appropriate.

== Compared with [[St. Jerome]] ==

== Compared with [[St. Jerome]] ==

A contemporary of [[St. Augustine]] was [[St. Jerome]], but they were quite different.  Augustine was not primarily an interpreter of [[Scripture]] (a "exegete") as Jerome was.  Instead, Augustine was a pastor.   

A contemporary of [[St. Augustine]] was [[St. Jerome]], but they were quite different.  Augustine was not primarily an interpreter of [[Scripture]] (an "exegete") as Jerome was.  Instead, Augustine was a pastor.   

Augustine was more of a legal and political scholar than Jerome, who was more of a linguist. For example, Augustine expounded a coherent view of [[natural law]].  ''See'' [[natural law and Augustine]].

Augustine was more of a legal and political scholar than Jerome, who was more of a linguist. For example, Augustine expounded a coherent view of [[natural law]].  ''See'' [[natural law and Augustine]].