St.Augustine

St.AugustineSomeofhisthoughtsHisbooks201301200陈思思1Born:13November354Thagaste,Numidia(modern-daySoukAhras,Algeria)Died:28August430(aged75)HippoRegius,Numidia(modern-dayAnnaba,Algeria)Notablework:ConfessionsCityofGodOnChristianDoctrineOntheTrinity2Personallife▪HewasborninnorthernAfrica,thenpartofthewaningRomanEmpire.▪HismotherwasadevoutChristian,andhisfatherwasaPagan(异教徒).▪HewassenttothegreatRomanportofCartagetostudyrhetoricasateenager.▪Fornearly10years,hefollowedasecretreligioussect----theManicheans摩尼教派.3Personallife▪HetaughtthebrandofSophisticrhetoricinMilanbetweentheyearsA.D.384-386.WhathetaughtwasbasedonworksbyCicero.▪TheChristianleaderAmbrosecontributedtoAugustine’sdecisiontoconverttoChristianity.4▪Augustinewasordainedapriestin391andwaslaterelevatedtotheofficeofBishopofHippo.▪Over30yearsthatheservedasbishop,hespentmuchofhistimewritingagainstvarioushereticalgroups.Personallife5Augustine’sviewsonhumanfreedom/sin/salvationAugustine‘sviewsonhumanfreedom,sinandsalvationwereshapedbyhisencounterwithManichaeans(摩尼教派）andPelagians.（伯拉纠派）▪ManichaeismMatterisevil▪PelagianismThemainteachingofPelagiusisthattheoriginalsindidnotcorruptthehumannatureandhumanwilliscapableofchoosinggoodorevilwithoutdivinehelp.6Thoughts▪SlaveryAugustineledmanyclergyunderhisauthorityatHippotofreetheirslavesasanactofpiety.“Goddidnotintendthatthisrationalcreature,whowasmadeinhisimage,shouldhavedominionoveranythingbuttheirrationalcreation--notmanoverman,butmanoverthebeasts.“Theconditionofslaveryistheresultofsin,hedeclared.7ThoughtsJustwar▪AugustineassertedthatChristiansshouldbepacifistsasapersonal,philosophicalstance.▪Whilenotbreakingdowntheconditionsnecessaryforwartobejust,AugustinecoinedthephraseinhisworkTheCityofGod.▪thepursuitofpeacemustincludetheoptionoffightingforitslong-termpreservation.Suchawarcouldnotbepre-emptive,butdefensive,torestorepeace.8▪ThomasAquinas,centurieslater,usedtheauthorityofAugustine'sargumentsinanattempttodefinetheconditionsunderwhichawarcouldbejust.JustwarThoughts9Books▪ItdescribeshisearlylifeandhisconversiontoChristianity.▪Itcontainsascathingattackonthetypeofrhetorichehadtaught.CONFESSIONSOFST.AUGUSTINE10BooksTHECITYOFGOD▪ViewstheChurchasaneworderreplacingtheoldRomanEmpire.()▪Thisworkisavaststorehouseoftheknowledgeofthetime,andisamonumentnotonlytoAugustine’sgreatlearning,butalsotothekeenestmetaphysicalmindoftheage.1112Whenamenlives“accordingtoman”andnot“accordingtoGod”heisliketheDevil.Itisalienottoliveasamanwascreatedtolive.ThehappinessofmancancomnotfromhimselfbutfromGod.AndwhattoliveaccordingtooneselfistosinandtosinistoloseGod…Excerpts13