Augustine for Beginners

The Mind That Built Western Christianity: Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) When Rome fell in 410 AD, an African bishop's response shaped Western civilization for fifteen centuries. Augustine - philosopher, rhetorician, reluctant priest - became Christianity's most influential theologian between Paul and Luther. Born in North Africa in 354 AD, he pursued pleasure in Carthage, embraced heresy, and climbed the imperial ladder. His dramatic conversion in 386 produced the Confessions, Christianity's first psychological autobiography. As Bishop of Hippo for thirty-five years, he addressed every major theological crisis of his age. Discover: The garden conversion that changed Western thought The battle over grace and free will that defined Christian salvation The City of God—Christianity's first philosophy of history Doctrines on Trinity, predestination, and sacraments still debated today Life in collapsing Roman North Africa Reformers, councils, and philosophers from medieval to modern times wrestled with his questions about evil, salvation, and political power. This honest biography reveals brilliant intellect alongside moral struggle, and psychological insights that anticipated Freud by fifteen centuries. Augustine wrote as Vandal armies besieged Hippo in 430. Yet his ideas outlasted the Roman Empire. Perfect for readers interested in: early Church history, Roman decline, theological roots of Christianity, and ancient philosophy. The restless heart that found rest in God sixteen centuries ago still speaks. Ready to listen?