St. Augustine of Hippo

Otto the Potto · Oct 29, 2004

Was St. Augustine really a good man? I've heard so many conflicting things about him. For example, Jack Chick, the publisher, states in one of his magazines that Augustine supported the oppression of Protestants by the Catholic Church. I want to believe that Augustine was a good man, but was he?

Gold Dragon · Oct 29, 2004

Otto the Potto said:
Was St. Augustine really a good man? I've heard so many conflicting things about him. For example, Jack Chick, the publisher, states in one of his magazines that Augustine supported the oppression of Protestants by the Catholic Church. I want to believe that Augustine was a good man, but was he?

Are you seriously reading Jack Chick for truthful information?!

It is difficult for Augustine to support the oppression of a group that did not exist until 1100 years after his death.

Augustine (354-430)
Protestant Reformation (1500s)

Otto the Potto · Oct 29, 2004

I was simply using Jack Chick as an example of some of the "disinformation" I've heard concerning St. Augustine.

Gold Dragon said:
Are you seriously reading Jack Chick for truthful information?!

Augustine (354-430)
Protestant Reformation (1500s)

Gold Dragon · Oct 29, 2004

Otto the Potto said:
I was simply using Jack Chick as an example of some of the "disinformation" I've heard concerning St. Augustine.

I see. So you want informed opinions on St. Augustine. My Wikipedia link should help.

Augustine being one of the most important theologians in the early church is obviously held in high esteem by the RC and EOC. Most protestants also hold his teachings in high esteem except for those like Chick who are strongly anti-Catholic and try to slander anything remotely smelling Catholic.

Here is a collection of his writings.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library

Here is a look at what we know if his life.
Catholic Encyclopedia : Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo

LamorakDesGalis · Oct 29, 2004

Otto the Potto said:
Was St. Augustine really a good man? I've heard so many conflicting things about him. For example, Jack Chick, the publisher, states in one of his magazines that Augustine supported the oppression of Protestants by the Catholic Church. I want to believe that Augustine was a good man, but was he?

Augustine was a deeply spiritual person who (unknowingly) had a profound and lasting impact on Western Christianity. To gain more insight into Augustine as a person, try reading his autobiography Confessions. I found Confessions to be gut-level honest and full of genuine praise to God.

Lamorak Des Galis

InnerPhyre · Oct 30, 2004

Otto the Potto said:
Was St. Augustine really a good man? I've heard so many conflicting things about him. For example, Jack Chick, the publisher, states in one of his magazines that Augustine supported the oppression of Protestants by the Catholic Church. I want to believe that Augustine was a good man, but was he?

Augustine lived 1000 years before the first Protestants. Chick is a liar and a paranoid fool.

Turpius · Oct 30, 2004

Right or wrong, Augustine is probably in the "top 10" most important/influential theologians in Church History

Bulldog · Oct 30, 2004

Otto the Potto said:
Was St. Augustine really a good man? I've heard so many conflicting things about him. For example, Jack Chick, the publisher, states in one of his magazines that Augustine supported the oppression of Protestants by the Catholic Church. I want to believe that Augustine was a good man, but was he?

Where did Chick say that?

It's almost hard to beive such bas scholarship could be published....

Reader Nilus · Oct 30, 2004

Yes, he was a good man, and yes a saint on top of that.
Reader Nilus

zjl56 · Nov 1, 2004

He was a very good man indeed I have tried reading some of his writings. He wrote on many different subjects concerning the Catholic Church. His most famous writings are the Confessions and The City of God.

Lumen Gentium · Nov 1, 2004

Yes Augustine is a Doctor of the Church for Catholics. He was a pagan and a Manichean for all of his youth, was converted to Christ by his mother's prayers (also a Saint - Monica) and through his friendship with the great St. Ambrose of Milan. You can still see the Baptismal pool in the church where Augustine was baptised by Ambrose in 386AD when you visit Milan...

Augustine stood fast against the heresy of Pelagius and defended the doctrine of grace. He also attended the Council of Hippo which was one of the councils which gave us the Christian Bible.

Augustine is much misunderstood unfortunately by people who have never actually read his works.....Read them.

Reader Nilus · Nov 1, 2004

Augustine's gripe against Pelagius was one of his errors.
Reader Nilus

BBAS 64 · Nov 2, 2004

Good Day, All

Augustine on Romans,

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0891305831/qid=1099406020/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-7820036-3329752?v=glance&s=books

The complete works of Augustine::

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=787848&netp_id=310414&event=EFIN

Peace to u,

Bill

SolomonVII · Nov 6, 2004

It is a bit suprising to hear one of the criticisms abour Augustine was that he was anti-Protestant. Augustine was the darling of the first Protestants. Luther was an Augustinian monk. And Protestants have gotten much support of the doctrine of sole fide from their particular reading of Augustine's work.

In fact, in part as a reaction against Protestant's affinity to Augstine, for a few centuries after the Reformation Catholics tended to ignore Augustine and stress the theology of Thomas Aquinas to a much greater extent.

Augustine is noted for his hearfelt theology and his sincere grappling with his carnal nature, and his inability to deal with it of his own free will. The one valid criticism that resulted from this may be his abandonment of hiw own wife in order to lead a celibate life.

Before Auinas, Augustine was the most influential theolgian in Western Christendom, and his influence is being felt today especially in Protestantism. HIs main struggles were not, of course, against Protestants, but against Gnostics. Modern Gnostics such as Elaine Pagels have done some good studies on the nature of this struggle.

Morevover, the Christian Church at that time was not in a postion to persecute, but conversely was subject to sever persecutions. I doubt that there can be any reason for anyone to regard Augustine as anything as a theologian whose main batlefield was for the preservation of the Orthodoxy of his Church's teaching.

Old Man Turtle · Nov 30, 2004

He said it in one of his magazines.

Bulldog said:
Where did Chick say that?

It's almost hard to beive such bas scholarship could be published....

Machiavelli · Dec 1, 2004

Was Augustine a good man? No. It's his own recognition of the depths of his depravity (very influential upon later notions of "total depravity" by Calvin), that made him truly great.

Augustine was flawed in many respects, and his "Confessions" are a journal of his struggles, even after he became a Christian. His level of introspection go far beyond the depths that any Christian would go today. In this respect, we can all take a leaf from his book.

I hope people don't think that I'm trying to slander Augustine. I think that he is one of the greatest (to put him only in the top ten is a gross understatement) theologians of all time. His honesty truly is refreshing.

ps139 · Dec 5, 2004

I'm currently reading Augustine's Confessions, and to say that he humbles himself is the understatement of the millenium. He is brutally honest in dealing with his sin, and all of his actions as a whole. His questions and the answers he comes up with are some of the most profound things I have ever read. I think every Christian should read this book. It is 1000 times better than most of the new the Christian inspirational books you'll find at Barnes and Nobles

drstevej · Dec 5, 2004

ps139 said:
I'm currently reading Augustine's Confessions, and to say that he humbles himself is the understatement of the millenium. He is brutally honest in dealing with his sin, and all of his actions as a whole. His questions and the answers he comes up with are some of the most profound things I have ever read. I think every Christian should read this book. It is 1000 times better than most of the new the Christian inspirational books you'll find at Barnes and Nobles

As a Protestant let me Psa 139's endorsement of Augustine's Confessions. Profoundly insightful.

tigersnare · Dec 11, 2004

Reader Nilus said:
Augustine's gripe against Pelagius was one of his errors.
Reader Nilus

In your opinion that is....most of the Church for the last 1600 years would tend to disagree with you though.

Topaz · Dec 16, 2004

Sounds interesting. I will have to find one of these books.

St. Augustine of Hippo

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