Augustine of Hippo

Highlights

Main contribution

Augustine became the grammar of Western Christianity.

Event connection

Donatist schism opens in Africa (311)

Best first read

Confessions

Primary source

Augustine, Confessiones

Works

• Confessionsc. 400

  Spiritual autobiography in thirteen books — the founding text of introspective Christian writing.

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• City of Godc. 426

  Twenty-two books defending Christianity after the sack of Rome and articulating the two-cities theology of history.

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• On Christian Doctrinec. 397

  Manual of biblical interpretation and Christian rhetoric, foundational for medieval education.

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• On the Trinityc. 419

  Fifteen-book systematic treatment of the Triune God, framing Western Trinitarian theology for a millennium.

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• Enchiridionc. 421

  Concise summary of Christian doctrine framed around faith, hope, and love; medieval theology textbook.

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• Sermonsc. 400

  About 500 sermons survive; primary source for late antique African Christianity.

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• Retractationsc. 427

  Late-life review of his own writings, correcting errors; rare patristic act of self-criticism.

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Sources for biography

• Augustine, Confessiones primary
• Augustine, Retractationes primary
• Possidius, Vita Augustini primary

documented connections(24)

• baptized by Ambrose of Milan
  Ambrose baptized Augustine and Alypius at Milan during the Easter Vigil of 387.
  Augustine, Confessions 9.6
• taught by Ambrose of Milan
  Augustine attended Ambrose's preaching at Milan and credits him with his conversion.
  Augustine, Confessions 5.13-14, 6.3-4
• taught by Monica
  Augustine credits his mother Monica with persistent influence toward his conversion.
  Augustine, Confessions 3.11-12, 9.8-13
• met (incoming) Alypius of Thagaste
  Lifelong friendship from Thagaste through Carthage, Rome, Milan and back to Africa.
  Augustine, Confessions 6.7-10, 8.6, 9.6
• taught by (incoming) Possidius of Calama
  Possidius lived in Augustine's monastic community at Hippo and wrote his Vita.
  Possidius, Vita Augustini (preface)
• knew of Marius Victorinus
  Augustine was deeply moved by hearing of the conversion of Marius Victorinus.
  Augustine, Confessions 8.2-5
• corresponded Jerome
  Extensive (often acrimonious) correspondence over Galatians and the Hebrew text of the OT.
  Augustine, Epistulae 28, 40, 71, 82 · Jerome, Epistulae 102, 105, 112, 115
• opposed Pelagius
  The Pelagian controversy occupied Augustine's last two decades.
  Augustine, De Gestis Pelagii · Augustine, De Natura et Gratia
• opposed Julian of Eclanum
  Augustine wrote six books Contra Julianum and the unfinished Opus Imperfectum.
  Augustine, Contra Julianum
• opposed Caelestius
  Augustine wrote against Caelestius alongside Pelagius.
  Augustine, De Gratia Christi et de Peccato Originali
• corresponded (incoming) Paulinus of Nola
  Lengthy correspondence preserved on both sides.
  Augustine, Epistulae 24-27, 30-32 · Paulinus of Nola, Epistulae 4, 6, 45-50
• corresponded (incoming) Prosper of Aquitaine
  Prosper consulted Augustine on the rise of semi-Pelagianism in southern Gaul.
  Augustine, Epistula 225 (Prosper to Augustine)
• cited (incoming) Prosper of Aquitaine
  Prosper systematically defended Augustine's doctrine of grace.
  Prosper, Pro Augustino Responsiones; Contra Collatorem
• knew of (incoming) Ambrose of Milan
  Ambrose received Monica's commendation regarding Augustine.
  Augustine, Confessions 6.1-2
• cited (incoming) Pope Gregory I (the Great)
  Gregory draws constantly on Augustine's exegesis and theology in the Moralia and Regula Pastoralis.
  Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job, passim · Markus, Gregory the Great and his World, ch. 3
• cited (incoming) Fulgentius of Ruspe
  Fulgentius is the most thorough sixth-century Augustinian, citing him constantly in De Fide and the anti-Arian/anti-Pelagian works.
  Fulgentius, De Fide ad Petrum · Fulgentius, Contra Fabianum
• cited (incoming) Caesarius of Arles
  The Council of Orange (529) under Caesarius drew its canons largely from Augustinian florilegia compiled by Prosper.
  Council of Orange (529), Canones · Caesarius, Sermones
• cited (incoming) Bede the Venerable
  Bede draws on Augustine throughout his commentaries; his exegetical method is fundamentally Augustinian.
  Bede, In Genesim, In Lucam, etc. · Bede, Retractatio in Acta Apostolorum, prologue
• cited (incoming) Boethius
  Boethius cites Augustine as authority in De Trinitate and follows Augustinian Trinitarian formulations.
  Boethius, De Trinitate, prologue
• cited (incoming) Cassiodorus
  Cassiodorus' Expositio Psalmorum is built on Augustine's Enarrationes in Psalmos.
  Cassiodorus, Expositio Psalmorum, praefatio
• cited (incoming) Gregory of Tours
  Gregory cites Augustine's De civitate Dei and Augustine's exegesis at several points in his Histories and miracle books.
  Gregory of Tours, Hist. Franc. 1 prologue · Heinzelmann, Gregory of Tours: History and Society in the Sixth Century (CUP 2001), pp. 110-114
• cited Perpetua of Carthage
  Augustine preached three surviving sermons (280-282) on the feast of Perpetua and Felicity at Carthage and Hippo.
  Augustine, Sermons 280, 281, 282
• cited Felicity of Carthage
  Augustine's sermons 280-282 commemorate Felicity jointly with Perpetua.
  Augustine, Sermons 280, 281, 282
• met (incoming) Melania the Younger
  Gerontius's Vita records Melania and Pinianus residing near Hippo c. 410-417 and meeting Augustine and Alypius; Augustine's Letter 124 is addressed to them.
  Gerontius, Vita Melaniae Iunioris 20-21 · Augustine, Epistula 124

tradition connections(2)

• corresponded Cyril of Alexandria
  Cyril sent Augustine documents on the Nestorian controversy shortly before Augustine's death.
  Augustine, Epistula 4* (Divjak)
• cited (incoming) Venantius Fortunatus
  Fortunatus draws on Augustinian theology and language across his hymns and prose Lives; the dependence is acknowledged by modern editors though no explicit citation formula appears.
  George, Venantius Fortunatus: A Latin Poet in Merovingian Gaul (Oxford 1992), pp. 105-125

disputed connections(1)

• opposed (incoming) Vincent of Lérins
  Vincent's Commonitorium is widely (though disputedly) read as a critique of Augustinian predestinarianism.
  Vincent, Commonitorium 26

External resources