Augustine Of Hippo Research Paper

Augustine of Hippo, also known as Saint Augustine, is one of the most important and well-known theologians in the history of the Christian religion. Augustine has one of the most powerful conversions ever in the Church, a change of belief and behavior, which led to his most influential written work, Confessions. A writer and thinker, Augustine's treatises, sermons and letters number into the hundreds. He put his gifted mind to work on subjects such as grace, the Truth, sexuality and free will. Augustine's thought has had a profound impact on both Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. According to his autobiography, Augustine seems to have converted to religion not a culture.
Augustine was born in 354 in Thagaste and died in 430 in Hippo. He was born to a pagan father and devout Christian mother. Augustine was born with a brilliant mind so he enjoyed academics at Carthage, that is until he became restless for truth and virtue.

Successively disappointed by Platonic philosophy and Manichaen theology, he found rest in the God in Christianity. The first of several significant turning points in Augustine's life occurred when, upon reading Cicero's Hortensius at the age of 19, he was converted to the higher life of philosophy. He later recalled, “it gave me different values and priorities. Suddenly every vain hope became empty to me, and I longed for the immortality of wisdom with an incredible ardour in my heart.” (39) Augustine's new desire for wisdom sent him to the Scriptures, but he was disappointed by its unsophisticated Latin prose, he felt it paled in comparison to the Cicero. Many things in Milan led up to the conversion, beginning with the influence of Ambrose. Originally attending Ambrose's sermons to observe the preacher's celebrated dramatic skills, Augustine was unexpectedly influenced by the message itself. He discovered that Catholic Christianity could be reasonably defended, particularly against the Manichees, and that many of the Old Testament passages that were giving him trouble could be interpreted literally. Augustine was now able to dismiss Manichaeism completely. Monica arrived in Milan soon after, still praying for her son's salvation. Augustine was becoming more and more persuaded by Ambrose's sermons. He was no longer held back from conversion by any intellectual doubts, but primarily by ambition and the pull of sexual desire. At his mother’s insistence, he gave up his mistress, but replaced her with another concubine while he waited for his arranged bride to come of age. It was during this time of despair and indecisiveness that Augustine discovered Neo-Platonism. He was surprised by its agreement with Christianity, and also found in the writings something for his doubt and a solution to the problem of evil. He turned to the epistles of St. Paul, which revealed the weaknesses of the Neo-Platonists but still was unable to take the final step.
Augustine's internal conflict came to a head in a garden, as he sat tormented by indecision and powerlessness.

Finally, weeping with despair and crying out to God, he thought he heard a child's voice chanting. Taking this to be a sign from God, Augustine opened his copy of Paul's epistles and read the first thing he saw. His eyes fell on Romans 13:13-14. Augustine later wrote of the moment, "I neither wished nor needed to read further. At once, with the last words of this sentence, it was as if a light of relief from all anxiety flooded into my heart. All the shadows of doubt were dispelled."(153). The newly-converted Augustine was baptized, along with his son and a friend on Easter.
Augustine’s journey shows that he didn’t settled down into a culture, but that he took a self journey to be able to call himself a Catholic Christian. The quotes show the emotion show to his journey to religion. His religion doesn’t define him but it is a large part of him and it makes him whole because before he was constantly searching for something

new.