Biography
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430) was born in Algeria but spent much of his life in Italy, both then part of the Roman Empire. St. Augustine helped form or explain some of the main tenants of Christian doctrine, including original sin and the grace of Christ. At the heart of his beliefs was the idea that a person could only fully obtain knowledge through faith. He is sometimes recognized as a predecessor of Protestantism because of his thoughts on grace and salvation.
Influential Works
Confessions by Publication Date: 1991In his own day the dominant personality of the Western Church, Augustine of Hippo today stands as perhaps the greatest thinker of Christian antiquity, and his Confessions is one of the great works of Western literature. In this intensely personal narrative, Augustine relates his rare ascent from a humble Algerian farm to the edge of the corridors of power at the imperial court in Milan, his struggle against the domination of his sexual nature, his renunciation of secular ambition and marriage, and the recovery of the faith his mother Monica had taught him during his childhood. Chadwick renders the details of Augustine's conversion in clear, modern English, and his lucid translation and helpful introduction clear the way for a new experience of this classic.
De Doctrina Christiana by Publication Date: 1996The De Doctrina Christiana ("On Christian Teaching") is one of Augustine's most important works on the classical tradition. Undertaken at the same time as the Confessions, it sheds light on the development of Augustine's thought, especially in the areas of ethics, hermeneutics, and sign-theory. This completely new translation gives a close but updated representation of Augustine's thought and expression, while a succinct introduction and select bibliography present the insights of recent research.
