Saint Augustine
...was
Patricius, a pagan who was baptized Christian before he
died, and his mother was Monica, a baptized Christian with
an influential role in the life of her son. Augustine is
regarded as one of the most intelligent Christian theologians
and bishops of all time. His works and actions have left a
major imprint on the Church and its doctrine.
As a boy, Augustine was not baptized and grew up in the
Roman Empire. He studied under the local schoolmasters
in Tagaste until he turned fifteen and moved to continue his
studies in Madaurus. From Madaurus, he moved to
Carthage for advanced studies in rhetoric and law. It was in
Carthage that he took a concubine and later had a son
named Adeodatus from her. It was in this period of his life
that embraced Manichaeism, which is a belief that one god
is responsible for all good and another responsible for all
evil. Augustine's belief in Manichaeism prompted Monica,
his mother, not to allow his entrance into the family's house.
Even with her actions, she continued praying and hoping
that Augustine would find the Lord. After he ended his
studies in Carthage, he became a teacher and was
constantly on the move throughout Northern Africa.
Augustine stopped teaching and moved to Milan where he
gained the position of Public Orator. In Milan, Augustine
met Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan. Augustine grew to love
Ambrose's allegorical interpretations of the Bible and this
led to his appreciation and new understanding of the
Scripture. He also studied and learned to appreciate
Plato's works and started linking a lot of his works into the
meaning and messages in the Bible. Augustine's family,
including his mother, joined him in Milan. Her constant
prayers for his conversion to Christianity and the strict
ethical demands of Ambrose made Augustine's
appreciation of Plato's work grew deeper. It made him no...
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