Augustine of Hippo IEW Essay (by Ethan)

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.

Childhood and Education

            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.

Conversion and New Life

            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 28^th 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