St. Augustine of Hippo

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 1. Early life and education

  • Born Aurelius Augustinus in Thagaste (present-day Souk Ahras, Algeria) in 354 AD.
  • His mother, Monica, was a devout Christian, while his father, Patricius, was a pagan who converted shortly before his death.
  • He received an excellent education, particularly in rhetoric, first in Tagaste, then in Madauros, and finally in Carthage.
  • Despite his mother's faith, Augustine initially drifted away from Christianity and embraced a hedonistic lifestyle, taking a mistress and fathering a son named Adeodatus. 
2. Intellectual wanderings and Manichaeism
  • Augustine's initial search for truth led him to philosophy, specifically through reading Cicero's Hortensius, which inspired him to pursue wisdom.
  • He then became attracted to Manichaeism, a dualistic religion that proposed a cosmic struggle between good (light/spirit) and evil (darkness/matter).
  • Manichaeism offered what seemed like a solution to the problem of evil and suffering, and its emphasis on escaping the body through intellectual and aesthetic disciplines resonated with Augustine.
  • However, he eventually became disillusioned with Manichaeism's philosophical inconsistencies after encountering a prominent Manichean leader named Faustus who couldn't answer his profound questions. 
3. Journey to Milan and the influence of Ambrose
  • Augustine moved to Rome to teach rhetoric and then to Milan, the seat of the imperial government at the time.
  • In Milan, he began attending the sermons of Bishop Ambrose, initially drawn to his rhetorical style but eventually captivated by the Christian message he preached.
  • Ambrose's allegorical interpretations of the Old Testament helped Augustine overcome his previous objections to the scriptures.
  • He was also influenced by the stories of monks who had dedicated their lives to God, conquering temptations, particularly sexual desires. 
4. The garden experience and conversion
  • Augustine's conversion was a profound personal struggle, wrestling with his sinful habits and intellectual doubts.
  • One day, in a garden, distraught and praying for release from his sins, he heard a child's voice chanting, "Take up and read".
  • He opened a copy of St. Paul's letters and read the passage from Romans 13:13-14: "Not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires".
  • This experience was transformative for Augustine; he immediately felt a sense of peace and a resolution to commit himself fully to Christ. 
5. Baptism and later life
  • Following his conversion, Augustine resigned his professorship and retreated to a country villa with friends and his mother, Monica.
  • He was baptized by Bishop Ambrose in Milan on Easter Vigil, 387 AD, along with his son Adeodatus and friend Alypius.
  • Augustine returned to Africa and was ordained a priest in 391 AD and then consecrated as Bishop of Hippo in 395 AD.
  • He lived a monastic life, combining priestly duties with scholarly work and famously engaging in debates against various heresies of his day, such as Donatism and Pelagianism.
  • He continued to write extensively, including the monumental works The City of God and Confessions, which recount his spiritual journey and theological reflections.
  • St. Augustine died in 430 AD during the Vandal siege of Hippo. 
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