CRISIS: 

FOR THE CHURCH 

-History of persecution 

-christianity causing ppl to turn against various groups 

CRISIS :

FOR THE EMPIRE

-An erosion of power 

-# of all groups are not worried they will rule over them 

Saint Augustine 

birthplace, family, early years 

-born in Alegria, curtilage 

-born to a minor roman official 

to patricians local roman official and monica 

-early classical studies 

-turned away from monica's faith to the wild side ; wanted sex, not marry, etc. 

Journey to Christianity: 

Stage One- The Quest for Wisdom 

-cicero & the Quest for wisdom 

-became teacher of rhetoric & a new religious set called Manichean phase

Stage two- his Manichean phase 

2 principals of Manichean 

1- principles of life ; love 

2- principles of darkness; evil, hate, material 

stage three- the appeal of Neo-Platonism 

1. Plato Reloaded 

-evil was an absence of good 

-drawn to the idea there are eternal realities, neo-platonism explains evil more than Manicheism 

-augustine goes because he wants to listen to Ambrose 

-Ambrose was a Roman official before a Christian 

-Christians can have a brain, you don't have to not use it (this clicked to Augustine) 

Stage four - Embracing the Christian Faith 

1. Personal Complications 

-Monica convinced Augustine to break up w/ his girl wasn't social equal 

-His social equal is a 10 yr. old girl 

-Doubtful & wondering about future 

"Tolle Lego" 

-"Pick it up and read" 

-augustine went to garden and heard pick it up and read 

-when he looks at a paragraph, he surrends to christianity & becomes a christian believer 

-his mother and son dies when going back to Africa

-his 10 yr old girl is still alive 

=lives his life until the 380's 

-when he becomes Christian, he's committed & watching roman empire family apart 

-Constantine legalizes Christianity 

-lives a monostatic life 

-Bishop of Hippo 

Saint Augustine's world- Christians in an uncertain time 

A. An era of little security 

-PLURALISTIC 

-PERSECUTION 

-POLITICALLY/SOCIALLY UNSTABLE 

B. Competing Precedents 

1.MUST OBEY GOD & NOT HUMAN AUTHORITY

2. GIVE TO THE EMPEROR WHAT ARE THE EMPEROR, AND GIVE GOD WHAT ARE GOD'S 

3. LET EVERY PERSON SUBJECT TO THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES, THERE'S NO AUTHORITY EXCEPT THE ONE GOD ESTABLISHED  

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF REALITY? 

- REGARDING GOD (TRINITARIAN & MONOTHEISM) 

1. God is a sobered lord over all history (in control) 

2. Believes God is one (father, God, holy spirit) 

3.God is both transcendent & imminent 

4. God is beyond human understanding 

5. God is supremely good & lord of all creations; his creations are always good 

St. Augustine believes there's sin but goodness in all sin, that's why he couldn't stay with the Manicheans 

-forgiveness

-because they denied God, they cut off God's grace 

-God's grace encompassing all people  

-gave humans too much initiative, they don't really need God 

-Humans working their own decision out of free wills  

REGARDING THE WORLD -- THE CITY OF GOD 

a. The sensible World 

-known for all 5 senses, process w' our minds about the physical reality 

-material things cant be inherently evil 

-the material world, the world we live in every day 

-immaterial reality 

-both sensible and intelligible worlds are important, but intelligible world is more important because that's where the truth is; it helps us seek God better 

-scriptural authority super important 

-invasion of other ppl that caused him to look at God Differently 

-origin of power

-power is also corrupting 

-Roman empire built on shaky foundations doesn't really acknowledge God, that's why it's falling apart 

-even if ppl have the power they are powerless. The city of God has more power. 

-if a particular king acknowledges God, then God can use that opinion for his own God's grace 

-if you serve in ppl there is power in that  

REGARDING HUMANITY-- THE CONFESSIONS 

A. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL AND THE DIVIDED WILL

-corruption has brought evil into the world humans have a divided will 

• "we're gonna do wrong because we're drawn to" --- that's why we need God's grace 
• take good gifts of God & corrupt them  

-a human has a physical body as well as the eternal soul 

-soul is more important than body 

-soul can act on the body, but body cant act to the soul 

**take advantage of God's grace, so your soul can control your body when you die 

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT IS REAL? 

1. study scripture (authority) 
2. study the sensible world (empiricism) 
3. study what is written on our hearts (innatism) 
4. the role of Non-Christian thinkers & ideas 

- belief is the first step of understanding, doesn't end there. 

(scripture learning is primary: all other learning is valuable but secondary in importance) 

HOW SHOULD WE ACT IN RESPONSE TO WHAT WE KNOW TO BE REAL? 

1. ORDERED VS. DISORDERED LOVE 

-we need to live our lives pursuing God's grace 

-if they pursue disordered love, it will lead away from God 

-it's always God first 

2. JUST VS. UNJUST WARS 

*if a war to be just, the other side has to be unjust* 

-just war must have its object to uphold justice & restore peace 

-can't be reckless, pointless violence in just war if there is =disordered love 

-prisons of hostages must be respected in just war; if not =disordered love 

*** Motive or war must be love ***

*** killing the body doesn't include death of the soul *** 

-church can lose role 

-Christians think, be completely separated, no way you can influence through a Christian perspective 

-Christians say because we represent and know what it is to be just, and tolerant, each approaches have characterized  

-Christians can lead to self-righteousness