Biography of Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine (November 354 – August 430)he was also known as Saint
Austin and also sometimes as Blessed Augustine in the Eastern Orthodox Church he
was born on the 13th of November 354 and died on the 28th of August , he was a
Christian theologian and philosopher, His writings influenced the development
of Western Christianity and Western philosophy. He was the bishop of Hippo Regius.
Due to his writings, He was regarded as one of the most important Church Fathers in
Western Christianity in the Patristic Era. Among his most important works are City of
God and Confessions.i

Augustine "established anew the ancient Faith." As stated by his contemporary, in his
early years, he was heavily influenced by Manichaeism and afterward by the Neo-
Platonism of Plotinus. After his baptism and conversion to Christianity in 387, Augustine
developed his own approach to philosophy and theology, accommodating a variety of
methods and perspectives.ii Believing that the grace of Christ was indispensable to
human freedom, he helped formulate the doctrine of original sin and made seminal
contributions to the development of just war theory.iii

In the East, many of his teachings are not accepted. The most important doctrinal
controversy surrounding his name is the filioque. Other possibly unacceptable doctrines
include his views on original sin, the doctrine of grace, and predestination. Nonetheless,
though considered to be mistaken on some points, he is still considered a saint.

Saint Augustine had an enormously influential role in shaping the world that replaced it,
the Christianized civilization of Medieval Europe.
People who influenced Saint Augustine

At the age 17 Saint Augustine went to Carthage to continue his education it was
there where he read Cicero's dialogue Hortensius which fueled Saint Augustine’s desire
for philosophy “he described as leaving a lasting impression”. Although raised as a
Christian, Augustine left the church to follow the Manichaean religion, much to his
mother's despair.

His mother, being a devoted Christian tried to influence him of the way of Christianity
but to no effect, she took him to a bishop to be convinced of his errors and too the
bishop failed and advised Saint Monica to keep praying for his son, “It is impossible that
the son of so many tears should perish” said the bishop.iv And Saint Monica went on her
way to Milan and upon arriving met with Saint Ambrose who later became the man who
made Saint Augustine yield, Like Augustine, Ambrose was a master of rhetoric, but
older and more experienced this may have been a reason why Saint Augustine was
very much fond of him and had outmost respect to him after being influenced by Saint
Ambrose, Saint Augustine then went to be baptized along with his son.

Environmental Factors that influenced Saint Augustine

When he was eleven years old (11) he was sent to school at Madaurus, His first
insight into the nature of sin occurred when he and a number of friends stole fruit they
did not want from a neighborhood garden. He tells this story in his biography, The
Confessions. He remembers that he did not steal the fruit because he was hungry, but
because "it was not permitted."His very nature, he says, was flawed. 'It was foul, and I
loved it. I loved my own error—not that for which I erred, but the error itself." From this
incident he concluded the human person is naturally inclined to sin, and in need of the
grace of Christ.v This must have been the most the first manifestation that he had
prowess in philosophy to think an eleven year-old child would have the capability to
think of such a conclusion this might have been brought down by some of the influence
of his mother about God.
Saint Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas was born on January 28, 1225. His place of birth was
Roccasecca, which was part of the Kingdom of Sicily at the time.

Of the theologians who have existed throughout human history, Thomas Aquinas is one
of the most famous and influential of all. His philosophy was heavy rooted in the theory
of natural theology, a belief system that somewhat combined concepts of the natural
world with traditional beliefs about God and religion. Aquinas was eventually canonized
as a saint by the Catholic Church.

At the age of 5 or 6, Thomas was placed in the care of the monks of the Benedictine
abbey of Monte Cassino with the intention that he should become a monk, which is one
of the most prestigious monastic communities in Europe. After 8 years of instruction he
was forced by political circumstances to leave Monte Cassino with the other oblates and
to complete his education in Naples at a Benedictine house connected with the
university there.

And at 19 he joined the recently formed Dominican Order, but his sudden change of
decision did not please his family, so as a means to prevent Thomas’ mother from
interrupting the Dominican order arranged to move him to Rome and from there, to
Paris but he was seized by his brother when he was seen drinking from a fountain, he
was immediately returned to their castle and was locked up.

The Catholic Church honors Thomas Aquinas as a saint and regards him as the model
teacher for those studying for the priesthood, and indeed the highest expression of
both natural reason and speculative theology.
People who influenced Saint Thomas Aquinas

Aristotle though not directly, was one of the many people who influenced him
through his literature, he used what he had learned from the school he attended on,
Aristotelianvi logic that is, and there must be a reason or cause for everything that
happens. If we trace back from effects to their causes, we can either continue
indefinitely, or reach a point where we are forced to acknowledge that there must be an
ultimate or first cause – some point from which everything begins.

Environmental factor that influenced Saint Thomas Aquinas

At the age of 5 or 6, Thomas was placed in the care of the monks of the
Benedictine abbey of Monte Cassino with the intention that he should become a monk,
which is one of the most prestigious monastic communities in Europe. After 8 years of
instruction he was forced by political circumstances to leave Monte Cassino with the
other oblates and to complete his education in Naples at a Benedictine house
connected with the university there.
Saint Gregory the Great

It is uncertain when the exact date of Pope Gregory was but is said that it may
have been sometime of 540 of a politically influential family, and in 573 he became
Prefect of Rome; but shortly afterwards he resigned his office and began to live as a
monk, and he died on the 12th of March 604 his writings, till this day is well known, his
writings was more prolific than of his predecessors as pope.

Throughout the middle Ages he was known as “the Father of Christian Worship”
because of his exceptional efforts in revising the Roman worship of his day.

i
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo (Date of access:09/19/2015)
ii
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo (Date of access:09/19/2015)
iii
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Saint_Augustine_of_Hippo.aspx(Date of
access:09/19/2015)
iv
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo (Date of access:09/19/2015)
v
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Saint_Augustine_of_Hippo.aspx(Date of
access:09/19/2015)
vi http://www.egs.edu/library/thomas-aquinas/biography/