Augustine
of Hippo: His Life and Legacy
Academic
Life—From Thagaste to Rome
(1)Aurelius
Augustus was born on November 13 in the year 354 A.D. (4)During the slow
decline of the Roman Empire, the magistrates desperately clung to the lands that remained inside their control.
North Africa was one such a territory. It
was here, in the small town of Thagaste, that Aurelius Augustus was raised.
Due to the generosity of his parents, Augustine benefited from an excellent
education. Determined
to pass on the skill that he had acquired as an orator, he opened a school to educate the young men of his hometown. He was, however, frustrated with this
vocation. Following the advice of a friend, he moved to Rome
to pursue a fresh career. (3)Unquestionably, this transition set in motion the beginning of a new
life for Augustine.
Augustine’s
comparatively humble beginnings in no way inhibited the budding
brilliance that he demonstrated from an early
age. Augustine’s father, Patricius
Augustus, was a decurion—a Roman civil authority. (3)Since the legalization of Christianity,
the practice of paganism was no longer obligatory. Even so, Patricius’ fierce loyalty to his
country and his position as an officer compelled him to practice the
Roman civic religion. However, his love
for his Christian wife, Monica, tempered his zeal. He allowed her to both practice Christianity and to raise the children according to biblical
principles. Because of Monica’s faithful
instruction, Augustine was firmly grounded in the Christian faith
from his youth. Due to his precarious position in government, Patricius was constantly under
financial strain; he was obligated to make restitution
for any discrepancies in public taxes from his private purse. (4)Refusing to let poverty prevent his son from receiving a Roman
education, he insisted that Augustine be enrolled in a local
academy. (6)Augustine did not fare well. Despite his promise as a student, Augustine put little effort into his studies, often
resulting in painful consequences. (2)In his autobiography, Confessions,
Augustine candidly describes his early education:
But O God, my God, I now
went through a period of suffering and humiliation. I was told that it was right and proper for
me as a boy to pay attention to my teachers, so that I should do well at my
study and get on in the world… So I was sent to school to learn to read. I was too small to understand the purpose it
might serve and yet, if I was idle at my studies, I was beaten for it…I was
still a boy when I first began to pray to you, my Help and my Refuge. I used to prattle away to you, and though I
was small, my devotion was great when I begged you not to let me be beaten at
school…
Since his parents’ primary focus was on his
educational success, rather than his moral or social conduct, Augustine was sent to live in a nearby city
and later to Carthage in hopes that he might exercise his full potential. It was in this environment that Augustine
lived for some time, straying far from the faith in which he had been
raised. (1)Augustine of Thagaste would one day pay a price for his actions that would far
exceed that which he paid in his youth.
Teaching
in Thagaste and Carthage
(6)Augustine
needed money. (4) Having taken for
granted the generosity of
Thagaste’s mayor in funding his university education,
it was not long before he began to slip
back into the vile pastimes of his youth. (1)Augustine aptly depicts the grievous
condition
of Carthage in his book, Confessions, as, “a hissing
cauldron of lust,” a place in which he,
“exhausted [himself] in depravity.” Hearing of Augustine’s behavior, the mayor
became
continually less willing to fund his exploits. It was about this time that Patricius died,
leaving
Monica alone to tend the household and to fund their
son’s education. Every penny that could
be spared was sent to Augustine, but it was never
enough to satisfy his unquenchable desires. (3)Finally, Alypius, an old family friend and Augustine’s fellow classmate, convinced Augustine to tutor at the university to help pay for his education.
Despite the difficult competition, Augustine succeeded in this vocation and managed to complete his education. Ever since Augustine had left Thagaste, Monica had become increasingly worried. Now, receiving mixed rumors of Augustine’s remarkable achievements and his roguish activities,
her fears redoubled. Providentially, the solution to her worries came in the form of the
mayor’s son. (5)A wild youth of
Augustine’s age, he was a dreadful student, having been expelled
from all of the surrounding schools. The mayor suggested that Augustine, who had finished his
education in Carthage, return to open a school in Thagaste.
Despite misgivings about what he was leaving behind, the possibility of
relieving the strain of competition proved
irresistable. He followed the mayor’s advice,
reopening his school in Thagaste, and blew away all
expectations. His return did nothing
to relieve Monica’s fears. Her son had returned changed—though outwardly
rich, Augustine
was spiritually destitute.
Careers
in Rome and Milan
(6)Never
had Monica been more distressed. (1)Augustine
had not only returned a
pagan, but he had begun to introduce his Manichean ideas
into her own household. (5)Already one of the most powerful orators of his time, he
present heresies which his mother could not debate. At
last, she put an end to it. Augustine
left home, trusting to the good will of the mayor to provide a place for him to stay. He was not disappointed and enjoyed every
luxury his heart desired. (3)Suddenly,
during this time of indulgent bliss, Augustine’s beloved friend fell gravely ill and died.
Augustine describes their final encounter as one that shook the
foundations of his faith. (4)Receiving
no comfort in Thagaste, he took the advice of a friend, and left to pursue a teaching position in Rome. This endeavor proved a bitter disappointment. Not only were his students rowdy, careless, and uncontrollable, but they
treated him as an outsider. Severely limited by his lack of finances, Augustine chanced
to find a job opening in Milan. With the
help of
a friend, Augustine managed to secure the position, and found it immediately more to his liking than
Rome. During his stay in Milan, Augustine was fascinated
by talk of Bishop Ambrose and his oratorical
skills. Augustine began attending the services, hoping to
learn techniques that might prove useful in his newly
acquired job.
Augustine was immediately astounded by the simplicity of the bishop’s arguments, and perceived
more clearly than ever the fault of his old ways. Finally, after
over thirty years of struggle, Augustine laid aside
his doubts and professed faith in Christ. Monica’s unceasing prayers had been answered—the son, once lost, now
was
found.
(1)Augustine
was indisputably one of the most accomplished theologians in history.
What he is less accredited for, however, are his
extensive academic contributions. The
brilliance that marked his childhood followed him throughout
his education and prestigious careers, both in his hometown and abroad. Through this brilliance, God brought about
his spiritual work in many of those that have read his writings. (5)And so, the legacy of his achievements— academic and spiritual—and the eternal impact they
have carried live on, nearly 1700 years after
his death.
Spiritual
Life—From Heretic to Bishop
(5)As
prestigious as was his academic life, his spiritual journey was even more
profound. Though faithfully instructed by his devout Christian
mother, Augustine swiftly strayed from the paths in which he had been raised, embracing the
Manichean heresy. Augustine had become a staunch advocate for the lies that he soon began to
teach. At last, God worked through
another faithful servant, dispelling Augustine’s old beliefs,
and turning him once more to the Lord. (2)In this way, Augustine returned to the flock,
soon to be one of the most influential leaders the church would ever see.
Early
Life and Manichean Beliefs
Because
of Augustine’s reputation as a theologian, it is easy to forget that he spent
his youth as a pagan.
(1)Augustine experienced the benefits of being born during a period of Christian supremacy.
Nevertheless, he spent much of his early life torn between the varying beliefs of his pagan father and Christian
mother. For this reason, Monica was
hesitant to baptize him in his youth, fearing that in doing so, she would
bring a curse upon his head if he apostatized.
This mark of separation from his Christian peers did not fail to have an
effect upon the young Augustine.
Managing to succeed in academics, Augustine spent much of his free time in the roguish pursuits of his friends. A familiar passage in Confessions describes
one such occasion:
…of what I stole I
already had plenty, and much better at that, and I had no wish to enjoy the
things I coveted by stealing, but only to enjoy the theft itself and the
sin. There was a pear-tree near our
vineyard, loaded with fruit that was attractive neither to look at nor to
taste. Late one night, a band of
ruffians, myself included, went off to shake down the fruit and carry it away…
not to eat ourselves, but merely to throw to the pigs. Perhaps we ate some of them, but our real
pleasure consisted in doing something that was forbidden.
(2)In this way, Augustine began to drift from the devout instruction
of his mother. In Confessions, he mourns
the sorrow that he inflicted on his
mother, “[She] wept to you for me, shedding more tears
for my spiritual death than other mothers shed
for the bodily death of a son.” Even so, in the darkness of conflicting beliefs, Augustine perceived
the simplicity of the gospel as
foolishness. Against his mother’s will, he was sent to
study in Carthage, at which time he “burned with
longing to have wings to carry [himself] back to
[Lord].” During his stay in Carthage,
Augustine became acquainted with a heresy that was
destined to drive him still farther from the
Lord. His longing was not yet satisfied,
Monica’s tearful prayers were not yet answered.
It was at this time, that the
providence that had guided Augustine’s life so far, could most clearly be seen. By means of a number of careers, Augustine
was carried from Carthage to Milan. The beliefs that he once embraced, studied,
and taught to others, were quickly losing their allure. Soon they were faced by additional bombardment
at the hands of Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, one of the
greatest orators of the time. Due to his
tasks as a bishop, however, Ambrose had little time to
spare for Augustine’s queries.
(1)Augustine and his friend, Alypius, seeking refuge from their spiritual
agony, travelled to see Ponticianus, Ambrose’s spiritual mentor. (4)During his visit with
Ponticianus, Augustine raised many of the questions that had been troubling him. Ponticianus answered all of these in a
parable-like story in which two young men, parallels to Augustine
and Alypius, found faith in Christ. As
they left, Augustine turned to Alypius, saying, “What
is the matter with us? What is the
meaning of this story? These men have not had our
schooling, yet they stand up and storm the gates of heaven while we, for all
our learning, lie groveling
in this world of flesh and blood!” At
that he left, seeking refuge where\ none could be
found. (2)In the garden of his host
Ponticianus, he threw himself down in tortured prayer.
(3)Suddenly he was interrupted by the voice of a
nearby child, saying, “Take it and read, take
it and read.”
Taking this as a divine
summons, Augustine opened a
Bible, and his eyes fell upon a passage
from Romans, chapter thirteen,
verses thirteen and fourteen, “Not in
reveling and
drunkenness,
not in lust and wantonness,
not in quarrels and
rivalries. Rather arm yourselves with
the Lord Jesus Christ; spend no more thoughts on nature or
nature’s appetites.” God used these
words to spark saving faith in Augustine’s heart. With tears, Monica watched her son’s baptism,
but no longer the anguished tears of mother
mourning her child’s death. Rather they
were the tears of mother at the long- awaited return of a son
to her arms.
Life
as Bishop and Writings
Augustine’s conversion had an
immediate and marked impact on every aspect of his life. (2)At once, he dropped
title and career, retiring with his mother and Alypius to dedicate his life to the study of God’s
word. So violently opposed was he to the
vices that once bound him, that he forsook even his
basic needs. At times he neglected food
and water in his hunger and thirst for God and His
word. At this time, Monica, the
long-suffering servant of the Lord, died in the arms of her son, escaping
to find the arms of her Father in Heaven.
Following Monica’s death, Augustine visited a
nearby church in the city of Hippo. (1)Bishop
Valerius, recognizing him, at once made a stirring invitation
to the young men of the city to aid in the ministry as priests. Perceiving that his
call was directed towards Augustine, the congregation forced him to the front of the room, where he
was immediately ordained. Augustine began
to weep at the thought of abandoning his study
for the ministry. Mistaking his tears as
sorrow at being appointed a mere priest, Valerius
promised him the title of bishop as well.
Thus, Augustine became known as Augustine of Hippo.
Though Augustine’s tasks as a
bishop were many, that in no way decreased the volume of his writing. Some scholars have commented that the total
of his literary contributions, would equal a 300-page novel
written every year for forty years! Augustine’s
work was especially characterized by his
ability to express incredibly complex topics in such a way that it is still accessible fifteen
centuries later. His full collected
works comprises nearly one hundred ten documents, leading to
speculation that Augustine employed a number of highly trained scribes to aid him in his
undertaking. These writings consisted of
anything from short academic treatises to complex spiritual and philosophical
works. Even so, Augustine demonstrated
astonishing humility, and example
of which can be found in one of his most notable works, On Christian Doctrine, in which he
says:
"[This work is]...a
great and arduous undertaking, and one that, if difficult to carry out, it is,
I fear, presumptuous to enter upon. And presumptuous it would undoubtedly
be, if I were counting on my own strength; but since my hope of accomplishing
the work rests on Him who has already supplied me with many thoughts on this
subject, I do not fear but that He will go on to supply what is yet wanting
when once I have begun to use what He has already given...if [we] use freely
and cheerfully what [we] have received...He will add to and perfect his
gifts...just as that bread [in the miracle of the loaves and fishes] increased
in the very act of breaking it, so those thoughts which the Lord has already
vouch-safed to me with a view to undertaking this work will, as soon as I begin
to impart them to others, be multiplied by His grace..." (On Christian
Doctrine).
Thus, Augustine passed the rest of his life in
Hippo, in the study and ministry of God’s word. Augustine died on
August 28th 430 A.D. His
life, was the final nail in the coffin for paganism, heralding a new age of
Christianity.
The journey of Augustine’s life—beginning
with his slavery to youthful
passions and heresy, continuing into his conversion and life as
the Bishop of Hippo—has inspired
the hearts of countless
readers. The legacy of his written works, continues,
sharpened and ready in God’s work of cutting down that which
threatens his people, and in returning to himself
those predestined to His saving work through Christ.
Ethan
Grade: 10 Age: 15
