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108-846: Augustine of Hippo produced a piece called Questions on the Heptateuch . Ælfric of Eynsham produced an Old English version of the Heptateuch. Cyprianus Gallus rendered the Heptateuch into Latin verse in the 5th century. This article related to the Hebrew Bible is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about biblical criticism is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( / ɔː ˈ ɡ ʌ s t ɪ n / aw- GUST -in , US also / ˈ ɔː ɡ ə s t iː n / AW -gə-steen ; Latin : Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine ,

216-462: A heuristic device , Augustine thought the actual event of creation would be incomprehensible by humans and therefore needed to be translated. Augustine also does not envision original sin as causing structural changes in the universe, and even suggests that the bodies of Adam and Eve were already created mortal before the Fall . Apart from his specific views, Augustine recognized that interpreting

324-420: A Christian, continues through that person's life, and is completed when they stand before Christ in judgment . Therefore, according to Catholic apologist James Akin, the faithful Christian can say in faith and hope, "I have been saved; I am being saved; and I will be saved." Christian salvation concepts are varied and complicated by certain theological concepts, traditional beliefs, and dogmas . Scripture

432-501: A Messianic figure who would save all people from the power, guilt, and penalty of sin. This role was fulfilled by Jesus, who will ultimately destroy all the devil's work, including suffering, pain, and death. Variant views on salvation are among the main fault lines dividing the various Christian denominations : Roman Catholicism , Eastern Orthodoxy , and Protestantism . A few examples are found within Protestantism , notably in

540-538: A busy schedule made up of preparing sermons and preaching at other churches besides his own. When serving as the Bishop of Hippo, his goal was to minister to individuals in his congregation and he would choose the passages that the church planned to read every week. As bishop, he believed that it was his job to interpret the work of the Bible. He wrote his autobiographical Confessions in 397–398. His work The City of God

648-521: A classic of Christian theology and a key text in the history of autobiography . This work is an outpouring of thanksgiving and penitence. Although it is written as an account of his life, the Confessions also talks about the nature of time, causality, free will, and other important philosophical topics. The following is taken from that work: Belatedly I loved thee, O Beauty so ancient and so new, belatedly I loved thee. For see, thou wast within and I

756-434: A deity or believing in any outside power or influence. The Jewish concept of Messiah visualises the return of the prophet Elijah as the harbinger of one who will redeem the world from war and suffering, leading mankind to universal brotherhood under the fatherhood of one God. The Messiah is not considered as a future divine or supernatural being but as a dominating human influence in an age of universal peace, characterised by

864-413: A dire situation. In religion and theology , salvation generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its consequences. The academic study of salvation is called soteriology . In Abrahamic religions and theology, salvation is the saving of the soul from sin and its consequences. It may also be called deliverance or redemption from sin and its effects. Depending on

972-736: A disappointing meeting with the Manichaean bishop, Faustus of Mileve , a key exponent of Manichaean theology, started Augustine's scepticism of Manichaeanism. In Rome, he reportedly turned away from Manichaeanism, embracing the scepticism of the New Academy movement. Because of his education, Augustine had great rhetorical prowess and was very knowledgeable of the philosophies behind many faiths. At Milan, his mother's religiosity, Augustine's own studies in Neoplatonism , and his friend Simplicianus all urged him towards Christianity. This

1080-415: A grave sin. Islam describes a true believer to have Love of God and Fear of God . Islam also teaches that every person is responsible for their own sins. The Quran states; If you disbelieve, then ˹know that˺ Allah is truly not in need of you, nor does He approve of disbelief from His servants. But if you become grateful ˹through faith˺, He will appreciate that from you. No soul burdened with sin will bear

1188-415: A greater good. Eventually, Augustine concludes that it was the good of the "companionship" between him and his accomplices that allowed him to delight in this theft. At the age of 17, through the generosity of his fellow citizen Romanianus, Augustine went to Carthage to continue his education in rhetoric , though it was above the financial means of his family. Despite the good warnings of his mother, as

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1296-437: A large community of Christians against different political and religious factors which had a major influence on his writings. Possidius admired Augustine as a man of powerful intellect and a stirring orator who took every opportunity to defend Christianity against its detractors. Possidius also described Augustine's personal traits in detail, drawing a portrait of a man who ate sparingly, worked tirelessly, despised gossip, shunned

1404-537: A literal 1,000-year kingdom prior to the general resurrection , but later rejected the belief, viewing it as carnal. During the medieval period, the Catholic Church built its system of eschatology on Augustinian amillennialism , where Christ rules the earth spiritually through his triumphant church. During the Reformation , theologians such as John Calvin accepted amillennialism. Augustine taught that

1512-538: A rhetoric professor. Augustine won the job and headed north to take his position in Milan in late 384. Thirty years old, he had won the most visible academic position in the Latin world at a time when such posts gave ready access to political careers. Although Augustine spent ten years as a Manichaean, he was never an initiate or "elect", but an "auditor", the lowest level in this religion's hierarchy. While still at Carthage

1620-429: A small Numidian city about 31 kilometres (19 miles) south of Thagaste. There he became familiar with Latin literature , as well as pagan beliefs and practices. His first insight into the nature of sin occurred when he and a number of friends stole pears from a neighbourhood garden. He tells this story in his autobiography, Confessions . He realises that the pears were "tempting neither for its colour nor its flavour" - he

1728-485: A special definiteness and a dominant position. Taken in its widest sense, as deliverance from dangers and ills in general, most religions teach some form of it. It assumes an important position, however, only when the ills in question form part of a great system against which human power is helpless. According to Christian belief, sin as the human predicament is considered to be universal. For example, in Romans 1:18–3:20

1836-443: A teenage heiress. By the time he was able to marry her, however, he had decided to become a Christian priest and the marriage did not happen. Augustine was, from the beginning, a brilliant student, with an eager intellectual curiosity, but he never mastered Greek – his first Greek teacher was a brutal man who constantly beat his students, and Augustine rebelled and refused to study. By the time he realized he needed to know Greek, it

1944-524: A villa outside of Milan where he gathered with his followers, and described it as Christianae vitae otium – the leisure of Christian life. In late August of 386, at the age of 31, having heard of Ponticianus's and his friends' first reading of the life of Anthony of the Desert , Augustine converted to Christianity. As Augustine later told it, his conversion was prompted by hearing a child's voice say "take up and read" ( Latin : tolle, lege ). Resorting to

2052-595: A way other than Islam, it will never be accepted from them, and in the Hereafter they will be among the losers. For those who have not been granted Islam or to whom the message has not been brought: Indeed, the believers, Jews, Christians, and Sabians—whoever ˹truly˺ believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good will have their reward with their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve. Belief in

2160-551: A young woman in Carthage. Though his mother wanted him to marry a person of his class, the woman remained his lover. He was warned by his mother to avoid fornication (sex outside marriage), but Augustine persisted in the relationship for over fifteen years, and the woman gave birth to his son Adeodatus (372–388), which means "Gift from God", who was viewed as extremely intelligent by his contemporaries. In 385, Augustine ended his relationship with his lover in order to prepare to marry

2268-421: A youth Augustine lived a hedonistic lifestyle for a time, associating with young men who boasted of their sexual exploits. The need to gain their acceptance encouraged inexperienced boys like Augustine to seek or make up stories about sexual experiences. Despite multiple claims to the contrary, it has been suggested that Augustine's actual sexual experiences were likely with members of the opposite sex only. It

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2376-401: Is a three-dimensional object composed of the four elements, whereas the soul has no spatial dimensions. Soul is a kind of substance, participating in reason, fit for ruling the body. Augustine was not preoccupied, as Plato and Descartes were, in detailed efforts to explain the metaphysics of the soul-body union. It sufficed for him to admit they are metaphysically distinct: to be a human

2484-572: Is an ethnic religion. Therefore, salvation has been primarily conceived in terms of the destiny of Israel as the elect people of Yahweh (often referred to as "the Lord"), the God of Israel . In the biblical text of Psalms , there is a description of death, when people go into the earth or the " realm of the dead " and cannot praise God. The first reference to resurrection is collective in Ezekiel 's vision of

2592-442: Is built on five principles, acts of worship that Islam teaches to be mandatory. Not performing the mandatory acts of worship may deprive Muslims of the chance of salvation. According to Ibn 'Umar , Muhammad said that Islam is based on the following five principles: Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism and Sikhism share certain key concepts, which are interpreted differently by different groups and individuals. In these religions one

2700-496: Is closely related to the idea of redemption , a saving from the states or circumstances that destroy the value of human existence. God, as the universal spirit and Creator of the World, is the source of all salvation for humanity, provided that an individual honours God by observing His precepts. So redemption or salvation depends on the individual. Judaism stresses that salvation cannot be obtained through anyone else or by just invoking

2808-674: Is described in early texts of Indian religion such as the Upanishads and the Pāli Canon , and later texts such the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Vedanta tradition. Moksha can be attained by sādhanā , literally 'means of accomplishing something'. It includes a variety of disciplines, such as yoga and dhyana ( meditation ). Nirvana is the profound peace of mind that is acquired with moksha . In Buddhism and Jainism , it

2916-596: Is known by various cognomens throughout the many denominations of the Christian world, including Blessed Augustine and the Doctor of Grace ( Latin : Doctor gratiae ). Hippo Regius , where Augustine was the bishop , was in modern-day Annaba , Algeria . Augustine was born in 354 in the municipium of Thagaste (now Souk Ahras , Algeria ) in the Roman province of Numidia . His mother, Monica or Monnica,

3024-659: Is made possible by the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God , dying on the cross. At the heart of Christian faith is the reality and hope of salvation in Jesus Christ . Christian faith is faith in the God of salvation revealed in Jesus of Nazareth . The Christian tradition has always equated this salvation with the transcendent, eschatological fulfillment of human existence in a life freed from sin, finitude, and mortality and united with

3132-489: Is not a state, but an action (a bad deed); Islam teaches that a child is born sinless, regardless of the belief of his parents, dies a Muslim; he enters heaven , and does not enter hell. Narrated `Aisha: The Prophet said, "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and receive good news because one's good deeds will not make him enter Paradise." They asked, "Even you, O Allah's Messenger?" He said, "Even I, unless and until Allah bestows His pardon and Mercy on me." Islam

3240-488: Is not liberated from sin and its consequences, but from the saṃsāra (cycle of rebirth) perpetuated by passions and delusions and its resulting karma . They differ however on the exact nature of this liberation. Salvation is always self-attained in Indian religions , and a more appropriate term would be moksha ('liberation') or mukti ('release'). This state and the conditions considered necessary for its realization

3348-808: Is recognized as a saint in the Catholic Church , the Eastern Orthodox Church , the Lutheran churches , and the Anglican Communion . He is also a preeminent Catholic Doctor of the Church and the patron of the Augustinians . His memorial is celebrated on 28 August, the day of his death. Augustine is the patron saint of brewers, printers, theologians, and a number of cities and dioceses. His thoughts profoundly influenced

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3456-437: Is said to be "given to sin," salvation also has connotations that deal with the liberation of human beings from sin, and the sufferings associated with the punishment of sin—i.e., "the wages of sin are death ." Christians believe that salvation depends on the grace of God. Stagg writes that a fact assumed throughout the Bible is that humanity is in, "serious trouble from which we need deliverance…. The fact of sin as

3564-552: Is subject to individual and ecclesiastical interpretations. While some of the differences are as widespread as Christianity itself, the overwhelming majority agrees that salvation is made possible by the work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, dying on the cross. The purpose of salvation is debated, but in general most Christian theologians agree that God devised and implemented his plan of salvation because he loves them and regards human beings as his children. Since human existence on Earth

3672-650: Is the Mercy of God, which merits them salvation, as we have to know that by the mercy of god we are doing the good deeds and we are believing in God. However, repentance must not be used to sin any further. Islam teaches that God is Merciful. Allah only accepts the repentance of those who commit evil ignorantly ˹or recklessly˺ then repent soon after—Allah will pardon them. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him ˹in worship˺, but forgives anything else of whoever He wills. And whoever associates others with Allah has indeed committed

3780-566: Is the state of being free from suffering . In Hindu philosophy , it is union with the Brahman ( Supreme Being ). The word literally means 'blown out' (as in a candle) and refers, in the Buddhist context, to the blowing out of the fires of desire, aversion, and delusion, and the imperturbable stillness of mind acquired thereafter. In Theravada Buddhism the emphasis is on one's own liberation from samsara. The Mahayana traditions emphasize

3888-423: Is to be a composite of soul and body, with the soul superior to the body. The latter statement is grounded in his hierarchical classification of things into those that merely exist, those that exist and live, and those that exist, live, and have intelligence or reason. Like other Church Fathers such as Athenagoras , Tertullian , Clement of Alexandria and Basil of Caesarea , Augustine "vigorously condemned

3996-525: The bodhisattva path, in which "each Buddha and Bodhisattva is a redeemer," assisting the Buddhist in seeking to achieve the redemptive state. The assistance rendered is a form of self-sacrifice on the part of the teachers, who would presumably be able to achieve total detachment from worldly concerns, but have instead chosen to remain engaged in the material world to the degree that this is necessary to assist others in achieving such detachment. In Jainism , salvation , moksha , and nirvana are one and

4104-511: The sortes biblicae , he opened a book of St. Paul's writings (codex apostoli, 8.12.29) at random and read Romans 13: 13–14: "Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof." He later wrote an account of his conversion in his Confessions ( Latin : Confessiones ), which has since become

4212-501: The Apostle Paul declared everyone to be under sin—Jew and Gentile alike. Salvation is made possible by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus , which in the context of salvation is referred to as the " atonement ". Christian soteriology ranges from exclusive salvation to universal reconciliation concepts. While some of the differences are as widespread as Christianity itself, the overwhelming majority agree that salvation

4320-543: The Calvinist–Arminian debate , and between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism , notably when dealing with Sola Fide during the Protestant Reformation . The fault lines can include conflicting definitions of depravity , predestination , atonement , but most pointedly justification . Salvation, according to most denominations, is believed to be a process that begins when a person first becomes

4428-493: The Edict of Caracalla in 212. Augustine's family had been Roman, from a legal standpoint, for at least a century when he was born. It is assumed that his mother, Monica, was of Berber origin, on the basis of her name, but as his family were honestiores , an upper class of citizens known as honorable men, Augustine's first language was likely Latin. At the age of 11, Augustine was sent to school at Madaurus (now M'Daourouch ),

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4536-620: The Ever-Virgin Mary as the Mother of God , believing her to be "full of grace" (following earlier Latin writers such as Jerome ) on account of her sexual integrity and innocence. Likewise, he affirmed that the Virgin Mary "conceived as virgin, gave birth as virgin and stayed virgin forever". Salvation Salvation (from Latin : salvatio , from salva , 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or

4644-550: The Last Judgment , when the Second Coming of Christ would mark the catastrophic end of the world and the creation of a new world. For Christianity, salvation is only possible through Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus' death on the cross was the once-for-all sacrifice that atoned for the sin of humanity. The Christian religion, though not the exclusive possessor of the idea of redemption, has given to it

4752-534: The Manichaean religion , to which he had formerly adhered. He preached around 6,000 to 10,000 sermons when he was alive; however, there are only around 500 sermons that are accessible today. When Augustine preached his sermons, they were recorded by stenographers. Some of his sermons would last over one hour and he would preach multiple times throughout a given week. When talking to his audience, he would stand on an elevated platform; however, he would walk towards

4860-520: The people of Israel from their various exiles. This includes the final redemption from the present exile. Judaism holds that adherents do not need personal salvation as Christians believe. Jews do not subscribe to the doctrine of original sin . Instead, they place a high value on individual morality as defined in the law of God—embodied in what Jews know as the Torah or The Law, given to Moses by God on biblical Mount Sinai . In Judaism, salvation

4968-465: The true church . He was strongly influenced by the Platonist belief that true reality is invisible and that, if the visible reflects the invisible, it does so only partially and imperfectly (see Theory of Forms ). Others question whether Augustine really held to some form of an "invisible true Church" concept. Augustine originally believed in premillennialism , namely that Christ would establish

5076-573: The "One God", also known as the Tawhid ( التَوْحيدْ ) in Arabic, consists of two parts (or principles): Islam also stresses that in order to gain salvation, one must also avoid sinning along with performing good deeds. Islam acknowledges the inclination of humanity towards sin. Therefore, Muslims are constantly commanded to seek God's forgiveness and repent. Islam teaches that no one can gain salvation simply by virtue of their belief or deeds, instead it

5184-644: The Augustinian Eremites . In the East , his teachings are more disputed and were notably attacked by John Romanides , but other theologians and figures of the Eastern Orthodox Church have shown significant approbation of his writings, chiefly Georges Florovsky . The most controversial doctrine associated with him, the filioque , was rejected by the Eastern Orthodox Church. Other disputed teachings include his views on original sin,

5292-665: The Augustinians guardians of the tomb of Augustine (called Arca ), which was remade in 1362 and elaborately carved with bas-reliefs of scenes from Augustine's life, created by Giovanni di Balduccio . In October 1695, some workmen in the Church of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro in Pavia discovered a marble box containing human bones (including part of a skull). A dispute arose between the Augustinian hermits (Order of Saint Augustine) and

5400-520: The Church are the successors of the Apostles , and their authority in the Church is God-given. The concept of Church invisible was advocated by Augustine as part of his refutation of the Donatist sect, though he, as other Church Fathers before him, saw the invisible Church and visible Church as one and the same thing, unlike the later Protestant reformers who did not identify the Catholic Church as

5508-469: The Church in 1298 by Pope Boniface VIII . His feast day is 28 August, the day on which he died. He is considered the patron saint of brewers, printers, theologians, and a number of cities and dioceses. He is invoked against sore eyes. Augustine is remembered in the Church of England 's calendar of saints with a lesser festival on 28 August. According to Bede 's True Martyrology , Augustine's body

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5616-473: The Church, who are either dead, sinful members or elect predestined for Heaven). The former is the institutional body established by Christ on earth which proclaims salvation and administers the sacraments, while the latter is the invisible body of the elect, made up of genuine believers from all ages, who are known only to God. The Church, which is visible and societal, will be made up of "wheat" and "tares", that is, good and wicked people (as per Mat. 13:30), until

5724-504: The Dead, section 5 (420) he exhorted respect for the body on the grounds it belonged to the very nature of the human person . Augustine's favourite figure to describe body-soul unity is marriage: caro tua, coniunx tua – your body is your wife . Initially, the two elements were in perfect harmony. After the fall of humanity they are now experiencing dramatic combat with one another. They are two categorically different things. The body

5832-464: The Holiness of the Catholic Church . That year, also, Adeodatus and Augustine returned home to Africa. Augustine's mother Monica died at Ostia , Italy, as they prepared to embark for Africa. Upon their arrival, they began a life of aristocratic leisure at Augustine's family's property. Soon after, Adeodatus, too, died. Augustine then sold his patrimony and gave the money to the poor. He only kept

5940-681: The Sadducees, High Priests, denied any particular existence of individuals after death because it wasn't written in the Torah, while the Pharisees, ancestors of the rabbis, affirmed both bodily resurrection and immortality of the soul, most likely based on the influence of Hellenistic ideas about body and soul and the Pharisaic belief in the Oral Torah. The Pharisees maintained that after death,

6048-562: The Septuagint. His view was based on the Aristotelian distinction "between the fetus before and after its supposed 'vivification ' ". Therefore, he did not classify as murder the abortion of an "unformed" fetus since he thought it could not be known with certainty the fetus had received a soul. Augustine held that "the timing of the infusion of the soul was a mystery known to God alone". However, he considered procreation as "one of

6156-526: The ancient Faith". In his youth he was drawn to the Manichaean faith , and later to the Hellenistic philosophy of Neoplatonism . After his conversion to Christianity and baptism in 386, Augustine developed his own approach to philosophy and theology, accommodating a variety of methods and perspectives. Believing the grace of Christ was indispensable to human freedom, he helped formulate the doctrine of original sin and made significant contributions to

6264-442: The audience during his sermons. When he was preaching, he used a variety of rhetorical devices that included analogies , word pictures, similes , metaphors , repetition , and antithesis when trying to explain more about the Bible. In addition, he used questions and rhymes when talking about the differences between people's life on Earth and Heaven as seen in one of his sermons that was preached in 412 AD. Augustine believed that

6372-485: The best and brightest rhetoricians practised, in 383. However, Augustine was disappointed with the apathetic reception. It was the custom for students to pay their fees to the professor on the last day of the term, and many students attended faithfully all term, and then did not pay. Manichaean friends introduced him to the prefect of the City of Rome, Symmachus , who had been asked by the imperial court at Milan to provide

6480-524: The burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you of what you used to do. He certainly knows best what is ˹hidden˺ in the heart. Al-Agharr al-Muzani who was from amongst the Companions of Allah's Apostle reported that Ibn 'Umar stated to him that Allah's Messenger said: O people, seek repentance from Allah. Verily, I seek repentance from Him a hundred times a day. Sin in Islam

6588-439: The consciousness of his African heritage, at least geographically and perhaps ethnically. For example, he refers to Apuleius as "the most notorious of us Africans," to Ponticianus as "a country man of ours, insofar as being African," and to Faustus of Mileve as "an African Gentleman ". Augustine's family name, Aurelius, suggests his father's ancestors were freedmen of the gens Aurelia given full Roman citizenship by

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6696-514: The contemporary ideas of ages (such as those of certain Greeks and Egyptians) that differed from the Church's sacred writings. In The Literal Interpretation of Genesis , Augustine argued that God had created everything in the universe simultaneously and not over a period of six days. He argued the six-day structure of creation presented in the Book of Genesis represents a logical framework , rather than

6804-543: The creation story was difficult, and remarked that interpretations could change should new information come up. Augustine developed his doctrine of the Church principally in reaction to the Donatist sect. He taught there is one Church, but within this Church there are two realities, namely, the visible aspect (the institutional hierarchy , the Catholic sacraments , and the laity ) and the invisible (the souls of those in

6912-642: The development of just war theory . When the Western Roman Empire began to disintegrate, Augustine imagined the Church as a spiritual City of God , distinct from the material Earthly City. The segment of the Church that adhered to the concept of the Trinity as defined by the Council of Nicaea and the Council of Constantinople closely identified with Augustine's On the Trinity . Augustine

7020-685: The doctrine of grace, and predestination . Though considered to be mistaken on some points, he is still considered a saint and has influenced some Eastern Church Fathers, most notably Gregory Palamas . In the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches , his feast day is celebrated on 15 June. The historian Diarmaid MacCulloch has written: "Augustine's impact on Western Christian thought can hardly be overstated; only his beloved example, Paul of Tarsus , has been more influential, and Westerners have generally seen Paul through Augustine's eyes." Augustine of Hippo, also known as Saint Augustine or Saint Austin ,

7128-525: The dry bones, when all the Israelites in exile will be resurrected. There is a reference to individual resurrection in the Book of Daniel . It was not until the 2nd century BCE that there arose a belief in an afterlife , in which the dead would be resurrected and undergo divine judgment. Before that time, the individual had to be content that his posterity continued within the holy nation. The salvation of

7236-625: The end of time. This concept countered the Donatist claim that only those in a state of grace were the "true" or "pure" church on earth, and that priests and bishops who were not in a state of grace had no authority or ability to confect the sacraments. Augustine's ecclesiology was more fully developed in City of God . There he conceives of the church as a heavenly city or kingdom, ruled by love, which will ultimately triumph over all earthly empires which are self-indulgent and ruled by pride. Augustine followed Cyprian in teaching that bishops and priests of

7344-412: The eternal fate of the soul is determined at death, and that purgatorial fires of the intermediate state purify only those who died in communion with the Church. His teaching provided fuel for later theology. Although Augustine did not develop an independent Mariology , his statements on Mary surpass in number and depth those of other early writers. Even before the Council of Ephesus , he defended

7452-439: The ethical way of life. When examining Jewish intellectual sources throughout history, there is clearly a spectrum of opinions regarding death versus the afterlife . Possibly an over-simplification, one source says salvation can be achieved in the following manner: Live a holy and righteous life dedicated to Yahweh , the God of Creation. Fast, worship, and celebrate during the appropriate holidays. By origin and nature, Judaism

7560-430: The eventual entrance to Paradise . Islam teaches that people who die disbelieving in Islam do not receive salvation. Those who die believing in the one God and His message (Islam) receive salvation. Narrated Anas, that The Prophet said: Whoever said "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of a barley grain will be taken out of Hell. And whoever said: "None has

7668-414: The experience eventually produced a decreased sensitivity to pain. Augustine eventually broke off his engagement to his eleven-year-old fiancée but never renewed his relationship with either of his concubines. Alypius of Thagaste steered Augustine away from marriage, saying they could not live a life together in the love of wisdom if he married. Augustine looked back years later on the life at Cassiciacum ,

7776-399: The family house, which he converted into a monastic foundation for himself and a group of friends. Furthermore, while he was known for his major contributions to Christian rhetoric, another major contribution was his preaching style. After converting to Christianity, Augustine turned against his profession as a rhetoric professor in order to devote more time to preaching. In 391 Augustine

7884-405: The goods of marriage; abortion figured as a means, along with drugs which cause sterility, of frustrating this good. It lay along a continuum which included infanticide as an instance of 'lustful cruelty' or 'cruel lust.' Augustine called the use of means to avoid the birth of a child an 'evil work:' a reference to either abortion or contraception or both." In City of God , Augustine rejected both

7992-544: The grace of Christ, receive salvation on the same terms as the living. For this reason, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do vicarious work for the dead in sacred temples. The elements of this plan are drawn from various sources, including the Bible , Book of Mormon , Doctrine & Covenants , Pearl of Great Price , and numerous statements made by the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). In Islam, salvation refers to

8100-503: The human predicament is implied in the mission of Jesus, and it is explicitly affirmed in that connection." By its nature, salvation must answer to the plight of humankind as it actually is. Each individual's plight as a sinner is the result of a fatal choice involving the whole person in bondage, guilt, estrangement, and death. Therefore, salvation must be concerned with the total person. "It must offer redemption from bondage, forgiveness for guilt, reconciliation for estrangement, renewal for

8208-485: The individual Jew was connected to the salvation of the entire people. This belief stemmed directly from the teachings of the Torah . In the Torah, God taught his people sanctification of the individual. However, he also expected them to function together (spiritually) and be accountable to one another. The concept of salvation was tied to that of restoration for Israel. During the Second Temple Period,

8316-508: The library of the church in Hippo and all the books therein should be carefully preserved. He died on 28 August 430. Shortly after his death, the Vandals lifted the siege of Hippo, but they returned soon after and burned the city. They destroyed all but Augustine's cathedral and library, which they left untouched. Augustine was canonized by popular acclaim, and later recognized as a Doctor of

8424-463: The marred image of God." According to doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the plan of salvation is God's plan to save, redeem, and exalt all humankind who chose, either in this life, or in the world of spirits of the dead, to accept the grace of Jesus Christ by exercising faith in Him, repenting of their sins, and by making and keeping sacred covenants (including baptism ). Since

8532-508: The medieval worldview. Many Protestants , especially Calvinists and Lutherans , consider him one of the theological fathers of the Protestant Reformation due to his teachings on salvation and divine grace . Protestant Reformers generally, and Martin Luther in particular, held Augustine in preeminence among early Church Fathers . From 1505 to 1521, Luther was a member of the Order of

8640-471: The passage of time in a physical way – it would bear a spiritual, rather than physical, meaning, which is no less literal. One reason for this interpretation is the passage in Sirach  18:1, creavit omnia simul ("He created all things at once"), which Augustine took as proof that the days of Genesis 1 had to be taken non-literalistically. As additional support for describing the six days of creation as

8748-413: The person and work of Christ. The Old Testament part of the story shows that people are sinners by nature, and describes a series of covenants by which God sets people free and makes promises to them. His plan includes the promise of blessing for all nations through Abraham and the redemption of Israel from every form of bondage. God showed his saving power throughout Israel's history, but he also spoke about

8856-527: The practice of induced abortion ", and although he disapproved of abortion during any stage of pregnancy, he made a distinction between early and later abortions. He acknowledged the distinction between "formed" and "unformed" fetuses mentioned in the Septuagint translation of Exodus 21:22–23, which incorrectly translates the word "harm" (from the original Hebrew text) as "form" in the Koine Greek of

8964-443: The preachers' ultimate goal is to ensure the salvation of their audience. In 395, he was made coadjutor Bishop of Hippo and became full Bishop shortly thereafter, hence the name "Augustine of Hippo"; and he gave his property to the church of Thagaste. He remained in that position until his death in 430. Bishops were the only individuals allowed to preach when he was alive and he scheduled time to preach after being ordained despite

9072-528: The regular canons ( Canons Regular of Saint Augustine ) as to whether these were the bones of Augustine. The hermits did not believe so; the canons affirmed they were. Eventually Pope Benedict XIII (1724–1730) directed the Bishop of Pavia, Monsignor Pertusati, to make a determination. The bishop declared that, in his opinion, the bones were those of Augustine. The Augustinians were expelled from Pavia in 1785, Augustine's ark and relics were brought to Pavia Cathedral in 1799. San Pietro fell into disrepair but

9180-499: The religion or even denomination, salvation is considered to be caused either only by the grace of God (i.e. unmerited and unearned), or by faith, good deeds (works), or a combination thereof. Religions often emphasize that man is a sinner by nature and that the penalty of sin is death (physical death, spiritual death: spiritual separation from God and eternal punishment in hell). In contemporary Judaism , redemption ( Hebrew : גְּאוּלָּה ‎ ge'ulah ), refers to God redeeming

9288-400: The right to be worshipped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of a wheat grain will be taken out of Hell. And whoever said, "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of an atom will be taken out of Hell . Islam teaches that all who enter into Islam must remain so in order to receive salvation. Whoever seeks

9396-463: The saint. Augustine's large contribution of writings covered diverse fields including theology, philosophy and sociology. Along with John Chrysostom , Augustine was among the most prolific scholars of the early church by quantity. Augustine was one of the first Christian ancient Latin authors with a very clear vision of theological anthropology . He saw the human being as a perfect unity of soul and body. In his late treatise On Care to Be Had for

9504-503: The same. When a soul ( atman ) achieves moksha , it is released from the cycle of births and deaths, and achieves its pure self. It then becomes a siddha ('one who has accomplished his ultimate objective'). Attaining Moksha requires annihilation of all karmas , good and bad, because if karma is left, it must bear fruit. While early Taoism had no understanding of the concept of salvation, later in Taoist history , salvation became

9612-401: The siege. Augustine has been cited to have excommunicated himself upon the approach of his death in an act of public penance and solidarity with sinners. Spending his final days in prayer and repentance, he requested the penitential Psalms of David be hung on his walls so he could read them and upon which led him to "[weep] freely and constantly" according to Possidius' biography. He directed

9720-406: The soul is connected to God until the messianic era when it is rejoined with the body in the land of Israel at the time of resurrection. Christianity's primary premise is that the incarnation and death of Jesus Christ formed the climax of a divine plan for humanity's salvation. This plan was conceived by God before the creation of the world, achieved at the cross, and it would be completed at

9828-628: The spiritual regeneration of humanity. In Judaism, salvation is open to all people and not limited to those of the Jewish faith; the only important consideration being that the people must observe and practise the ethical pattern of behaviour as summarised in the Ten Commandments. When Jews refer to themselves as the chosen people of God, they do not imply they have been chosen for special favours and privileges but rather they have taken it upon themselves to show to all peoples by precept and example

9936-484: The temptations of the flesh, and exercised prudence in the financial stewardship of his see. Shortly before Augustine's death, the Vandals , a Germanic tribe that had converted to Arianism , invaded Roman Africa . The Vandals besieged Hippo in the spring of 430 when Augustine entered his final illness. According to Possidius, one of the few miracles attributed to Augustine, the healing of an ill man, took place during

10044-418: The triune God. This is perhaps the non-negotiable item of Christian faith. What has been a matter of debate is the relation between salvation and our activities in the world. The Bible presents salvation in the form of a story that describes the outworking of God's eternal plan to deal with the problem of human sin. The story is set against the background of the history of God's people and reaches its climax in

10152-406: The vast majority of God's children depart this life without that opportunity, Christ's gospel is preached to the unbelieving spirits in spirit prison (1 Peter 3: 19) so that they might be judged by the same standards as the living and live by following God in their spirit form (1 Peter 4: 6). If they accept Christ, sincerely repent of their sins, and accept ordinances done on their behalf, they can, by

10260-650: Was ordained a priest in Hippo Regius (now Annaba), in Algeria. He was especially interested in discovering how his previous rhetorical training in Italian schools would help the Christian Church achieve its objective of discovering and teaching the different scriptures in the Bible. He became a famous preacher (more than 350 preserved sermons are believed to be authentic), and was noted for combating

10368-487: Was a devout Christian; his father Patricius was a pagan who converted to Christianity on his deathbed. He had a brother named Navigius and a sister whose name is lost but is conventionally remembered as Perpetua . Scholars generally agree that Augustine and his family were Berbers , an ethnic group indigenous to North Africa, but were heavily Romanized, speaking only Latin at home as a matter of pride and dignity. In his writings, Augustine leaves some information as to

10476-694: Was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia , Roman North Africa . His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosophy and Western Christianity , and he is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers of the Latin Church in the Patristic Period . His many important works include The City of God , On Christian Doctrine , and Confessions . According to his contemporary, Jerome of Stridon , Augustine "established anew

10584-482: Was finally restored in the 1870s, under the urging of Agostino Gaetano Riboldi , and reconsecrated in 1896 when the relics of Augustine and the shrine were once again reinstalled. In 1842, a portion of Augustine's right arm (cubitus) was secured from Pavia and returned to Annaba. It now rests in the Saint Augustin Basilica within a glass tube inserted into the arm of a life-size marble statue of

10692-424: Was forever changed. Augustine arrived in Milan and visited Ambrose, having heard of his reputation as an orator. Like Augustine, Ambrose was a master of rhetoric, but older and more experienced. Soon, their relationship grew, as Augustine wrote, "And I began to love him, of course, not at the first as a teacher of the truth, for I had entirely despaired of finding that in thy Church—but as a friendly man." Augustine

10800-569: Was later translated or moved to Cagliari , Sardinia , by the Catholic bishops expelled from North Africa by Huneric . Around 720, his remains were transported again by Peter, bishop of Pavia and uncle of the Lombard king Liutprand , to the church of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro in Pavia, to save them from frequent coastal raids by Saracens . In January 1327, Pope John XXII issued the papal bull Veneranda Santorum Patrum , in which he appointed

10908-407: Was neither hungry nor poor, and he had enough of fruit which were "much better". Over the next few chapters, Augustine agonises over this past sin of his, recognising that one does not desire evil for evil's sake. Rather, "through an inordinate preference for these goods of a lower kind, the better and higher are neglected". In other words, man is drawn to sin when grossly choosing the lesser good over

11016-530: Was racked, and wounded, and bleeding." Augustine confessed he had not been a lover of wedlock so much as a slave of lust, so he procured another concubine since he had to wait two years until his fiancée came of age. However, his emotional wound was not healed. It was during this period that he uttered his famously insincere prayer, "Grant me chastity and continence , but not yet." There is evidence Augustine may have considered this former relationship to be equivalent to marriage. In his Confessions , he admitted

11124-531: Was shortly after the Roman emperor Theodosius I declared Christianity to be the only legitimate religion for the Roman Empire on 27 February 380 by the Edict of Thessalonica and then issued a decree of death for all Manichaean monks in 382. Initially, Augustine was not strongly influenced by Christianity and its ideologies, but after coming in contact with Ambrose of Milan, Augustine reevaluated himself and

11232-469: Was too late; and although he acquired a smattering of the language, he was never eloquent with it. He did, however, become a master of Latin. Augustine taught grammar at Thagaste during 373 and 374. The following year he moved to Carthage to conduct a school of rhetoric and remained there for the next nine years. Disturbed by unruly students in Carthage, he moved to establish a school in Rome, where he believed

11340-623: Was very much influenced by Ambrose, even more than by his own mother and others he admired. In his Confessions , Augustine states, "That man of God received me as a father would, and welcomed my coming as a good bishop should." Ambrose adopted Augustine as a spiritual son after the death of Augustine's father. Augustine's mother had followed him to Milan and arranged a respectable marriage for him. Although Augustine acquiesced, he had to dismiss his concubine and grieved for having forsaken his lover. He wrote, "My mistress being torn from my side as an impediment to my marriage, my heart, which clave to her,

11448-418: Was while he was a student in Carthage that he read Cicero 's dialogue Hortensius (now lost), which he described as leaving a lasting impression, enkindling in his heart the love of wisdom and a great thirst for truth. It started his interest in philosophy. Although raised Christian, Augustine became a Manichaean , much to his mother's chagrin. At about the age of 17, Augustine began a relationship with

11556-712: Was without, and I sought thee out there. Unlovely, I rushed heedlessly among the lovely things thou hast made. Thou wast with me, but I was not with thee. These things kept me far from thee; even though they were not at all unless they were in thee. Thou didst call and cry aloud, and didst force open my deafness. Thou didst gleam and shine, and didst chase away my blindness. Thou didst breathe fragrant odours and I drew in my breath; and now I pant for thee. I tasted, and now I hunger and thirst. Thou didst touch me, and I burned for thy peace. Ambrose baptized Augustine and his son Adeodatus, in Milan on Easter Vigil , 24–25 April 387. A year later, in 388, Augustine completed his apology On

11664-562: Was written to console his fellow Christians shortly after the Visigoths had sacked Rome in 410 . Augustine worked tirelessly to convince the people of Hippo to convert to Christianity. Though he had left his monastery, he continued to lead a monastic life in the episcopal residence. Much of Augustine's later life was recorded by his friend Possidius , bishop of Calama (present-day Guelma , Algeria), in his Sancti Augustini Vita . During this latter part of Augustine's life, he helped lead

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