Photo by Wikimedia Commons

St. Augustine, is one of the most famous Christian figures of all time, but many Christians may wonder, why is he so important to the faith?

Despite his work being written over 2,000 years ago, including his most famous work, “Confessions”, his writing has influenced both medieval and modern Christian thought in a way surpassed only by Scripture itself, according to Brittanica.

“Confessions” is one of the most absorbing, original and interdisciplinary works of literature in the history of Western civilization, according to The Gospel Coalition.

Augustine is perhaps one of the most revered, significant Christian thinkers after St. Paul. Similar to Paul, Augustine had the unique ability to ‘translate’ complex theology into the language of the masses, according to The Gospel Coalition.

Augustine’s critiques and reflections of Christian and pagan culture in the year 400 have been relevant across different times and cultures.

In his writings, he explored grace, free-will and sanctification, the nature of the church and a myriad of other complex theological topics that theologians and laypeople today are still thinking about. Put another way, Augustine’s thoughtful and biblical approach to things related to the 

Christian life are just as relevant today as they were when he wrote them.

A statue of St. Augustine. Photo by Radwan Menzer for Pexels

The timeless truth Augustine articulated in philosophy and theology remains relevant to Western culture today. Dr. Johann Heinrich Kurtz explores Augustine’s impact in his book, “Church History.”

"The greatest, the most powerful of all the Fathers, him from whom proceeds all the doctrinal and ecclesiastical development of the West, and to whom each recurring crisis, each new orientation of thought brings it back."

He is considered one of the Latin Fathers of the Church, a title only three other Catholic saints hold, and is formally recognized as a doctor of the church by the Roman Catholic Church.

Augustine distinguished himself academically against pagan peers because he believed that Christian scriptures were not antithetical but rather at the center of philosophy.

Augustine was born in 354 in Tagaste, Algeria, a northern country in Africa.

He first studied in Tagaste, then in a nearby town in Maduros and then finally at Carthage, the great city of Roman Africa. After briefly teaching in Tagaste, he later returned to Carthage to teach rhetoric, which at the time was the premier science for Roman men, according to Brittanica. Expertise in rhetoric was thought of to be a path to a lucrative and successful career.

At age 28, restless, Augustine left Africa to make his career in Rome. He settled in Milan, which was the de facto capital of the Western Roman Empire, and the place where men often established careers, according to Brittanica.

However, his career in Milan did not go as he expected. He spent the first few decades of his life focused on ambition, pleasure and philosophical “enlightenment,” according to The Gospel Coalition.

At this time, Augustine sensed within himself a restlessness, which he documented in “Confessions” when he wrote, “Where could my heart flee to escape itself?”

Augustine’s literary and intellectual background aided him in compellingly articulating his vision of Christianity. He could write at a high level for educated, discerning readers and could also deliver powerful sermons through rhetorical tools that a less-cultured audience could understand, according to Brittanica.

Photo by Patrick Tomasso for Unsplash

In 391, Augustine became a “presbyter,” similar to a priest but with less authority, at Hippo in 391. A few years later in 396, he became a bishop and spent the rest of his life in that office.

Augustine’s influence in North Africa during his life and shortly after his death was essentially erased. This is due to a revival of Orthodox Christianity in the 6th century under Constantinople that ended in the 7th century because of Islamic invasions that permanently removed North Africa from the sphere of Christian influence, according to Brittanica.

Despite this, his influence has expanded beyond his time and culture through his writings. Five million words of Augustine’s writings survive today, according to Brittanica.

Christians today can reflect on Augustine’s words that proclaim that peace, rest and goodness are found only in God. This is embodied in a well-known quote from his work, “Confessions”, “You made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You”

Jenna Mindel is a senior journalism student at Biola University who is passionate about storytelling. Originally from Washington State, but now a California resident, she hates the rain but loves coffee, books, long walks (preferably on the beach), podcasts and any chance she gets to share a meal with her friends. Jenna hopes to shed light on meaningful work the Church is doing around the world as a journalist.